The City
by Molly Hollister
Summary: Hot young movie star Edward Cullen spends the summer in New York City working on his latest project. One night he and his brother Emmett end up at a dive bar, where they meet a pretty college student named Bella Swan.
1. Chapter 1: Fantasy Meets Reality

**Guide:**

**Edward Cullen is the hottest young movie star in the world, and the attention that comes with that is a lot to handle. He looks forward to working on his latest project over the summer in New York City. His brother Emmett tags along, as well as his manager and good friend Jasper.**

**Bella Swan is a student at Columbia who bartends to help pay tuition. Between working and studying, Bella has little time for movies and has no idea who Edward Cullen is when he sits down at her bar one night. **

**A friendship begins that blossoms into more, but complications come up, not the least of which is Edward's fame.**

**Chapter One: Fantasy vs. Reality**

**When Edward Cullen arrived in New York to begin work on his latest movie, he looked forward to living outside the spotlight for a while. Assuming he would blend in with the **

**throngs of ****New Yorkers who walk the city streets in relative obscurity, this summer was going to bring a welcome change of pace. ****For the past year Edward's every move, even **

**his every facial expression, was photographed and analyzed a thousand times over. Good thing that on his worst days he was still better ****looking than ninety-percent of the**

**population. Standing over six feet tall with wavy brown hair, denim blue eyes, and an impossibly perfect jaw line, Edward was striking even in a ratty ****tee shirt and worn jeans.**

**The price of this perfection, and of starring in one of the highest grossing movies of the year, was a complete lack of privacy. But he was certain the next couple **

**of months would be different. Low key. No interviews or photo shoots, no promotional appearances. Having the summer to immerse himself in work and enjoy the Big Apple,**

**especially its ****nightlife, was going to be the closest thing to a vacation he'd had in a long time.**

**That fantasy was short-lived. Within a few hours of landing at JFK, paparazzi spotted the world's hottest young movie star and his brother, Emmett, walking outside their **

**exclusive hotel. ****By the next day, photos of Edward in his trademark blue knit cap, smoking a cigarette in front of the ornate "Parliament Hotel New York" sign, were all over the **

**internet. Changing ****locations did not solve the problem. Any building with a street level entrance created an opportunity for photographs. Paparazzi parked themselves outside**

**every door while crowds of ****fans, mostly female, nonchalantly yet overtly obvious, traipsed back and forth on the concrete sidewalks outside his latest hotel. Fans with deeper **

**pockets even went so far as to reserve ****rooms in the same spot, which created an especially sticky problem for Security.**

**A few weeks of being holed up in a hotel, even inside the presidential suite, was getting to the young star. So much for the privileged life. Except for being whisked to and from the **

**movie ****set, Edward's security was now so tight that he couldn't even walk down the hall to the ice machine. **

**"This is fucking insane!" Edward groaned. He wasn't the type of guy who easily lost his temper, but nobody could blame him under these circumstances. He dropped his head to his chest ****and slammed his fist down in frustration against the marble top of the wet bar.**

**"Shit," he grumbled, "That hurt."**

**Reaching inside the mini-bar, he pulled out a Heineken and rubbed the chilled green bottle against his injured hand for a few seconds to ease the pain. After prying off the top with a ****makeshift bottle opener, he took a giant gulp and then another.**

**"Edward," said Jasper, his manager, "We're gonna get you moved soon. Maybe tonight. Definitely by tomorrow."**

**"That's what you said yesterday…" Edward growled back in frustration.**

**Jasper had worked for Edward 24/7 over the past year and a half. Smart and very successful for a thirty-year old, he was usually able to balance the friend/employee roles **

**effortlessly. ****Lately though, managing Edward's stress level had become more of a challenge – and a strain on their friendship.**

**"Sorry dude, but its not as if you can stay in the Holiday Inn Express. We gotta make sure you're in a secure place," Jasper responded.**

**Raising both eyebrows, Edward turned to speak directly to his manager, "I thought this place was supposed to be secure."**

**"It was, until the paparazzi along with a couple dozen teenage girls found out you were here and started tweeting about it," Jasper shot back sarcastically.**

**Edward replied in an uncharacteristically snide tone, "So you're saying that this pricey hotel's high paid security staff has been outsmarted by a bunch of teenage girls and the **

**stalkarazzi?"**

**From the other room, Emmett noticed the thickening tension between his brother and Jasper. Rising from in front of the TV, he walked into the living room where the two were **

**standing. **

**"Ed, calm down, dude. Have another beer." Emmett said as he pulled another Heineken from the mini-bar and snapped the top off with his strong fist.**

**Now aggravated with both his manager and his brother, Edward snarled back, "Emmett, you specifically requested the 52-inch flat screen so you could watch every fucking sports **

**channel ****in high def. Go back to your cave."**

**Emmett's muscles tensed. "Now your being an asshole, little brother" Emmett snapped back. "I'm keeping this beer for myself."**

**Edward cursed under his breath then grabbed the Heineken from Emmett's hand (Emmett was stronger, but Edward was quicker). Then he plopped himself down on the suede **

**sofa, ****stretched out his long legs and buried his head in his hands. After a few moments, he sighed, "I know I'm being a dick."**

**Just as Edward started to sit up, a cell phone rang.**

**"That's me," said Jasper. He pulled the phone from his hip pocket and walked a few steps away from the brothers before answering.**

**"Yeh, this is Jasper….". Speaking quietly and quickly, it was only a minute before the call was over and Jasper had a huge smile on his face.**

**"Alright, let's pack up. We're moving uptown to Park Place."**

**From Emmett's cave, Randy and Chris, Edward's round the clock security detail, overheard Jasper's news.**

**"Pretty nice digs," Randy called from the other room, "And an underground garage for guests only. So no paparazzi tracking every time we come and go from the place."**

**Visibly relieved, Edward smirked before mumbling, "I dunno, Uptown? Not really my scene."**

**Jasper was quick with his comeback, "Fuck you, asshole. Your choice is uptown scene or no scene at all. Park Place can put you in a penthouse suite with a terrace so you can **

**smoke your ****cancer sticks all day and night, if you want. Plus a pool and sauna, semi-private elevator and round the clock concierge service"**

**"What? No private gym?" asked Edward.**

**"Like you'd use a gym without it being a contractual requirement…" interrupted Emmett.**

**"You know me too well," laughed Edward as he punched his brother in the gut then winced after realizing that was the same hand he hurt earlier. "Shit, that hurt!"**

**"You'll learn one day, little brother" laughed Emmett. "Now let's get the hell out of here."**

**--------------------------------------------------------**

**By dusk Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Jasper's**** girlfriend Alice were sitting outside on the brick terrace of Edward's new penthouse suite at the Park Place Hotel, drinking beer and **

**looking at ****the breathtaking view over Central Park.**

**"I grew up here," Alice said as she gazed over the skyline, "and it never still ceases to amaze me how gorgeous this city is."**

**"I'm glad you could make it , Alice," said Edward sincerely. Then he chuckled mischievously before adding, "Jasper's been kind of uptight – you're a calming influence."**

**Alice looked perplexed. She turned her head to Jasper, running her perfectly manicured fingers through his blonde hair. "Have you been stressing out, Jazz?" she asked.**

**Glaring at Edward, Jasper decided to play it cool then whispered "Just missing you" into Alice's ear. "Wanna get out of here?"**

**Alice giggled self-consciously. She and Jasper had been together for a long time, but it was fairly recently that she hung out with him while he was with clients. She was just getting to ****know them and wasn't yet completely comfortable. "Whatever you want to do is good with me," she quietly said to Jasper.**

**Standing up from the love seat he was sharing with Alice, Jasper took her hand and began to say their good byes.**

**"See you later, man" said Emmett with his trademark devilish grin. "You two love birds have fun tonight. Don't worry about Edward and me. We'll just be up here looking out over **

**this ****beautiful city, with two terminal cases of blue balls. But you guys have a great time!"**

**Blushing before turning beet red, then almost purple with embarrassment , Alice began to laugh nervously.**

**"Nice mouth in front of the ladies," quipped Edward. But secretly he thought it was pretty funny. It would be even funnier if it weren't so true.**

**"That's okay," laughed Alice. "Don't be afraid to be yourselves around me just because I'm a girl. And I have lots of girl friends in this town, by the way."**

**"Is that right?" asked Emmett. "To tell you the truth, I usually do okay on my own, but my brother here has a tough time attracting women."**

**At that comment, everyone burst into hysterics except Edward, who flipped his middle finger at his older brother.**

**"Alright, alright," laughed Jasper, "We're out of here. See you in the morning." Taking Alice's delicate hand into his, Jasper led her out of the suite. **

**Edward lit a cigarette and took another sip from his beer. Emmett slouched back into his chair, looking deviously over at his brother.**

**"What?" asked Edward nervously. He did not trust Emmett when he had that look on his face.**

**"Let's go out." said Emmett.**

**"Out where?"**

**"Anywhere. A restaurant. Bar. Strip club. I don't care. But I need to get laid."**


	2. Chapter 2 : Diving In

Diving In

"The Dive Bar" was aptly named. Dark, smoke-filled and not too crowded. Worn leather booths lined one side of the long, narrow space while a large oak bar ran the full length of the opposite wall. B.B. King played over the house stereo, adding a bluesy vibe. Near the back was the customary dart board along with a couple of pool tables Clientele were mostly locals from the neighborhood and graduate students looking for a place to kick back and relax. Exactly the type of place Edward felt comfortable, or at least as comfortable as he was capable of feeling in any public place.

Maneuvering his wide shoulders through a group of people near the entrance, Emmett scouted out the back area while complaining to his brother about the smoke. "I thought Mayor Bloomberg outlawed smoking in New York's bars and restaurants."

"A few places got spared. Loopholes I guess. Wanna play darts?" Edward asked as he lit a cigarette. Trailing Emmett toward the back of the bar, Edward kept his head down. Even in a gritty place like this, he was self-conscious about being recognized. His blue knit cap was hardly a worthwhile disguise; he'd been photographed wearing it so many times that it was as recognizable as his trademark messy hair.

"Later," Emmett responded as he motioned with his chin toward the far corner. "Let's head over there.."

Lifting his head only enough to see where his brother was headed, Edward noticed the group of young women attracting Emmett's attention. Then pulling his cap down a bit more, he followed to two available bar stools.

"Is this good enough?" Edward asked before sitting down. They were within a few feet of the girls, but he strategically sat with his back to the group.

"Yeah, this is perfect," answered Emmett , who repositioned his stool slightly and winked at the pretty blonde in an expensive – and tight – blouse standing closest to him.

Waiting expectantly for her to smile back, Emmett was stunned when instead she rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. With his jaw practically on the floor, he turned to Edward. "Did you fucking see that?"

"See what?" asked Edward as he admired the large selection of imported beer lining the walls behind the bar.

"That blonde chick over there," mumbled Emmett. "She totally dissed me."

"What did you do?"

"I was just being friendly. That's all."

Edward chuckled, "Maybe you're losing your touch. Or maybe she's out of your league."

.

Before Emmett could think of a witty comeback, one of the three bartenders – the only female -- walked over and placed beverage napkins on the bar in front of both men. Emmett glanced at her long enough to notice she was attractive but his ego was too fragile to attempt flirting just yet.

"Hi guys," she said with a faint smile. "What can I get you?"

Without hesitation, Edward ordered. "Two shots of tequila, two beers." Only after ordering did he take a moment to notice who he was talking to. "Pretty," he thought to himself. She was pretty, in a very natural way. Her delicate features and fair complexion were offset by big brown eyes, She wore her hair back in a long pony tail and very little makeup, not that she needed any. Skinny jeans and a white tee shirt revealed a petite and perfectly toned body. As she walked toward the beer cooler, Edward noticed her red Converse sneakers and realized just how far from the usual Hollywood-type this girl was.

Within a few seconds, two cold brews and two shots of tequila, along with coarse salt and lemons, were placed in front of the Cullen boys.

"Thanks," the brothers said in unison, before both lifted their shot glasses.

"Sure. You guys want to start a tab?" .

"Yeah, that sounds good" Edward answered, "And two more shots when you get a chance."

Arching her eyebrow, but still smiling, she acknowledged his request. "Okay. I just need to get authorization on your credit card."

Emmett reached in the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet, but found nothing. A look of momentary panic spread over his face. "Shit. I left my wallet in my room."

With a smirk, Edward reached into the pocket of his plaid button-down then slid a black American Express card across the bar.

"Wow. We don't get many black cards in this place." Walking over to the credit card machine, the bartender swiped his card while glancing at the name. "Edward Cullen," she mumbled to herself. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

Shaking it off, she walked back to Edward and placed the card into his hand.

"Thanks, Edward," she said innocently. "Hey do you go to Columbia? Your name sounds familiar. Are we in a class together or something?"

Emmett stifled a laugh as Edward looked down in embarrassment. Sheepishly raising his head just enough to make eye contact, he said "No, I don't. I'm not nearly smart enough for Columbia but thanks for the compliment."

Feeling somewhat awkward, she bit her lip a little before deciding to change the subject. "Oh. Well, anyway, I'm Bella and just let me know if you need anything okay?"

The brothers nodded before she strolled down to the other side of the bar.

Two more shots of tequila, a few beers and at least an hour later, Emmett's ego was healing nicely when the blonde girl reappeared. Edging herself between Emmett and the wall she attempted to get Bella's attention.

"Miss! Excuse me! Can we get some drinks down here?" she called..

From half way down the bar, Bella called back "I'll be right down."

"Jeez," the blonde exclaimed. "Nobody gives good service anymore." As she waited for Bella to make her way down the bar, the young woman absentmindedly rested her elbow on the side of Emmett's stool and began tapping her long red fingernails.

Leaning in, Emmett didn't miss a beat. "Impatient, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry," she snapped and flung her long hair to one side. "Was I talking to you?"

"Well you weren't but now you are, so I guess that's your way of apologizing for being so rude earlier. I accept." Emmett grinned.

Before anything else was said, Bella appeared to take the drink order.

"Can I get another round of drinks for me and my friends, on our tab please"

"Sure," Bella answered. "Tell me your name again so I can ring it up on your check"

Annoyed that Bella was unable to remember her first name., she shot back "Its Rosalie. R-o-s-a-l-i-e."

As if on cue, Emmett interrupted. "Hi Rosalie, I'm Emmett. E-m-m-e-t-t." Standing up, he offered his stool to Rosalie. "Looks like you came with a big group. It could take Bella a few minutes to get all your drinks made. Have a seat."

Rosalie's ego was almost as big as Emmett's, so she wasn't sure if he was toying with her or trying to make up for the cheesy wink earlier in the evening. She slid cautiously onto the stool, resting her Jimmy Choo heels on the rungs in between and tried not to be impressed by his impressive manners.

Emmett whispered something to Bella then nonchalantly draped his muscular arm over the back of the stool. "So Rosalie, do you live around here or something?"

Was this guy really trying to make conversation with her? Rosalie moaned a bit before answering , "Not that far. But I work at a boutique a few blocks away."

Lighting another cigarette Edward glanced sideways at his brother, finding it funny that the usually smooth Emmett was having girl trouble. If the muscles and the smile don't get most of them, chivalry usually does the trick. Not with this girl, though. She seemed to expect men to fall over themselves for her.

Bella noticed Edward's smirk and couldn't help smiling at him as she passed by with Rosalie's drinks. Placing a few glasses down then going back for the rest, it was only a moment before all ten cocktails were ready. Emmett picked up two at a time and began handing them to the group of girls with Rosalie.

"What are you doing?" Rosalie shrieked as she jumped up from the stool and glared at Emmett..

"Helping out. That's all".

Rosie looked at the glasses then at Bella, "Um, there are ten drinks here. We only ordered nine. Make sure not to charge us for the extra."

"No problem, " Bella said with a sarcastic smile. "Emmett picked up the tab for those anyway. Number ten is his."

Now this was getting out of hand. Rosalie grabbed Emmett by the bicep. Surprised by how firm his arm was, she softened just a little before saying "I don't know what you're doing, but you can stop."

"C'mon. One drink. That's all. Let's have one drink and if you want me to go away, I'm gone. Promise."

"No," said Rosalie icily as she began to walk away.

The look on Emmett's face was a combination of disbelief and amazement. Sure, he was just the least bit embarrassed, but more shocked than anything. Who the hell was this girl?

Bella could not resist watching through the corner of her eye. Rosalie was a regular at her bar and she knew her name very well, although most of the bar staff referred to her as Ice Queen or Frigid Bitch. Bella intentionally pretended not to recognize Rosalie whenever she waited on her and her friends. They weren't her type. Sure, they all went to Columbia but Bella was almost certain that Rosalie didn't rely on work-study programs, grants or any kind of financial aid to earn her degree. Bella, on the other hand, worked from the first day of her first year to help pay expenses.

Positioning herself at the bar right in front of Edward, Bella grabbed a rag and wiped the bar down while eavesdropping on Rosalie and her latest victim.

"Your friend must enjoy public humiliation," she casually mentioned, simply trying to make conversation long enough to see Emmett get iced by the Frigid Bitch herself.

"Who? What?," Edward asked before realizing Bella was talking about Emmett. "Oh, yeah. He's my brother but its more like he can't resist a challenge." This was the first time in a very long while that someone engaged him conversation about his brother. It was usually Emmett who had to field questions from girls about Edward.

"You guys are brothers?" Bella asked skeptically. They certainly didn't look like brothers to her. Both were tall, over six feet, but that is where the similarities ended. Emmett was muscular with a broad face, close cropped hair, and even in casual clothing he preferred designer brands. Edward, on the other hand, was lean with unkempt hair, and generally shopped in thrift shops. But as hard as he tried to play his looks down, Edward was devastatingly handsome. Even when he let his beard grow, which he did whenever he was not working, he was beyond beautiful.

Edward understood the surprise. "I know. We look nothing alike." He didn't feel the need to elaborate, nor explain that both he and Emmett were adopted by their parents

Carlisle and Esme.

Temporarily losing interest in Emmett and Rosalie, who seemed to be negotiating a peace treaty in the corner, Bella realized she was probably being a little rude to her customer. Her customer with a black American Express card.

"Yeah, you don't look alike at all," she said, hoping he understood that was a complement. Trying to make up for seeming disinterested she attempted to prolong the conversation. "Do you guys work around here?"

"Kind of. I'm working here for the summer," Edward answered before sipping his beer and changing the subject. "So I assume you're at Columbia?"

Suddenly remembering their earlier conversation Bella blushed. "Yes, but I promise. I'm not all that smart."

Impressed with her humor and modesty, Edward couldn't help but notice again her beautiful brown eyes that almost sparkled when she smiled. "You can't be stupid if you got into Columbia."

"I never said I was stupid." Bella replied with a chuckle. Edward laughed, too, and for the first time in weeks he felt somewhat at ease outside his usual small circle of friends, managers, agents and other work-related companions. The alcohol and the fact that he was talking to a pretty girl certainly helped, but regardless he was finally relaxing a little.

And then it came. The innocent question, meant purely to make small talk. "So, what exactly do you do?"

Edward tensed up for a moment and considered lying. Wringing in his hands together, he looked around to make sure nobody else was listening, then practically mouthed the words, "I'm an actor."

A strange look came over Bella's face. A look Edward recognized. He shrugged and dropped his chin in embarrassment. For the past hour or two he was able to enjoy a few drinks with his brother in relative peace, enjoying the atmosphere and if he was being honest with himself, enjoying the scenery behind the bar. But it was obvious now that she knew the truth. Hopefully she'd be cool, wouldn't make a scene and they could finish their beers before anyone bothered them. She definitely didn't strike him as the type to call the paparazzi. And if she wanted a photo he'd politely ask her to wait until they were ready to leave, so it wouldn't draw too much attention.

"Oh my God!" Bella said with a huge smile. "I really thought you were a musician. In a band or something with a summer gig in the city. But an actor. That's cool, too"

Stunned silence followed by a rush of relief coursed through Edward as she processed her words.

"Uh, oh…did I offend you?"

Composing himself Edward laughed a little before saying, "No. Not at all. The truth is I am a musician, too. Not professional or anything but I play the piano and guitar."

Feeling relieved, Bella decided to change the subject and poured another beer for Edward. "This one's on me. Your brother looks like he's making some progress over there, so you may be here a little longer than you thought."

A wide smile came across Edward's face as he glanced to the corner where Rosalie was finally thawing while Emmett was pouring on the charm. Looking again at Bella, he thanked her and sipped from the mug in front of him while she started taking orders from new customers.

Edward had a good buzz going by the time Bella made her way back down to his side of the bar. His brother was well on his way to another conquest and he was perfectly content chilling out at the bar watching the scenery.

Moving closer to Edward, Bella reached around her back and untied her apron, slipping the neck strap over her head and throwing it under the bar. "Edward, she said, "It was great meeting you tonight. I hope you and your brother come back soon. Can I get you one more before I leave?"

"You're leaving? Don't leave." Edward blurted out in surprise.

Pursing her lips, Bella stood in front of him for a second or two. "My shift is over. I've gotta get home."

"I can't let you buy me a drink without doing the same for you. Besides, Emmett's lost interest in me and I'm all by myself," he said with a fake pout.

Peering over the bar, Bella could see that Edward was right. Emmett had his arm draped over Rosalie's shoulder and was entertaining her group of uptown socialites with his trademark wit and charm.

"Honestly it looks like you've been abandoned. I hope he's not your ride home," she remarked.

"I'll figure something out," he lied. "How 'bout one for the road?" Edward asked.

Giving in, Bella poured two more beers then walked from behind the bar and slid onto the stool next to Edward.

"Thanks for taking pity on me, Bella."

"I try and do a good deed everyday," Bella joked, as she reached around the back of her head to undo the pony tail. As her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, Edward was struck by how feminine she looked, even in a tee shirt and jeans. He watched as her full lips tenderly touched the glass while she sipped her drink, and suddenly he began thinking of those lips touching his.

Whoa! Maybe he had better slow down, he thought. Too much alcohol and a pretty girl can lead to fuzzy thinking. Edward knew well that he couldn't afford fuzzy thinking, or decisions made by any body part below the shoulders. Still, even if he wasn't drunk, this girl was something special.

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar tug of Emmett's large hand on his shoulder.

Leaning in, Emmett whispered into Edward's ear, "Dude, I'm leaving with Rosalie and her friends. We're going someplace else. You wanna come along?"

Edward knew that his brother's invitation was purely a formality. Emmett didn't want him to tag along anymore than _he_ wanted to go. "No, you go. I'll see you later."

As he watched Emmett lead Rosalie by the hand out onto the street, Edward realized that for the first time in as long as he could remember he was by himself, in a bar, talking to a beautiful girl who had no idea who he was. This was a good night.

An hour later….

"On the count of three…ready? One, two, three!" Edward called as he and Bella, the pretty student and part-time bartender, slammed down another shot of tequila.

It was Edward's fourth shot of the night, Bella's second. Add in a few imported beers and neither of them were feeling much pain.

"See," Edward slurred as he leaned toward Bella, "Aren't you glad I talked you into staying around?"

Edward's older brother, Emmett, had left more than an hour earlier with an attractive, albeit snobby, blonde he just met named Rosalie. Edward didn't have a clue how he was going to find his way back to his hotel but he wasn't overly concerned. He was focused on the petite brunette sitting next to him.

Rarely did Edward have the luxury of enjoying himself, much less the company of a pretty girl, in complete anonymity. Bella was oblivious to the fact that he was a famous movie star and so far he had managed to strategically hide himself from everyone else in their vicinity.

From behind the bar Mike, one of the bartenders Bella worked with, attempted to get her attention. "Bells! You feeling okay?" he asked in a concerned voice. His all-American good looks added to his wholesome appeal.

Bella's face was flushed, and as she looked up toward her friend Mike she couldn't help giggling in response. "I'm feeling great, Mike. How about you?"

"Bella," Mike said protectively, "You better slow down. I just gave last call so wait around and I'll make sure you get home safely." Although Mike was speaking to Bella, he made sure Edward heard him loud and clear.

Edward was drunk, but not so drunk that he didn't realize what Mike was up to.

Looking at Bella he had a feeling this wasn't going to be easy. "Is he your boyfriend?" asked Edward.

Bella almost burst out laughing before making it clear, "No, no, no, no! Mike's a good buddy, that's all. Don't worry – he's overprotective."

Hearing her response, Mike's face turned red and he starting slamming glass racks behind the bar. Clearly he wished Bella thought of him as more than a good buddy. They had known each other since their freshman year. Mike had lost count of how many times he tried to move their relationship past the friendship stage. He even got her this bartending job so they could spend more time together. There was no way in hell he was going to let this punk in a knit cap and Salvation Army clothes move in on his territory.

"Miss Swan," Mike said as he leaned in toward both Edward and Bella. "I'm going to go in the back and punch out. Meet me in front."

"But Mike," Bella protested. He was gone before she could finish her sentence.

As soon as Mike walked away, they hatched their escape plan. Bella would never intentionally hurt Mike, but he had a habit of overdoing it with the protector role. She was 22 years old and didn't need a babysitter.

Edging their way to the back hallway behind the pool tables, Edward and Bella waited for Mike to walk from behind the bar and into the store room. Then, stumbling out the back door of the bar, Bella and Edward both laughed as they tripped over cardboard boxes next to the dumpster. Grabbing Bella's hand, Edward looked around the alley before asking "Which way?"

Taking the lead, Bella held onto Edward's hand as she guided him toward the street. It wasn't until they got to the edge of the alley that either of them realized they didn't know what was next. Obviously Bella knew her way home, but she wasn't so sure she wanted to go home, yet. Edward, who had no clue how to get back to his hotel, was in no hurry, either.


	3. Chapter 3 : Now What?

**If you're reading Chapter 3, I'm assuming you've already read Chapters 1 & 2. If not, here's a quick recap:**

**Edward Cullen, the world's hottest young movie star, is spending the summer in NYC while filming his latest movie. One night Edward and his brother Emmett visit a local bar, where they meet a pretty student and part-time bartender named Bella.**

**At the bar, Emmett is drawn to beautiful but snobby socialite, Rosalie, who barely gives him the time of day. Little does Rosalie know how much Emmett LOVES a challenge. While Emmett charms Rosalie, Edward and Bella strike up a conversation. After sharing a few laughs and several drinks, Edward and Bella stumble out of the bar hand in hand – sneaking out from the protective eye of Bella's good friend Mike. **

**This is my first attempt at fan fiction so I appreciate any and all feedback. Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyers. The City belongs to me. Hope you enjoy both! **

**Chapter 3: Now what?**

Edward lost track of how many bottles of beer and shots of tequila shots he'd consumed over the last few hours. He wasn't exactly sure where he was or how he would get back to his hotel. Nor did he care. At this moment he was feeling very good, standing in the middle of a deserted city street with a beautiful girl named Bella. Her wavy brown hair fell gracefully over her shoulders to midway down her back. As the summer breeze gently blew, Edward couldn't help noticing the faint outline of her nipples revealing themselves under her simple white tee shirt. He leaned in closer as goose bumps began appearing on her bare arms.

"Are you cold?" he asked quietly while removing his jacket.

Momentarily taken aback by his chivalry, Bella recovered just in time to feel Edward's soft fingertips brush against her hair as he draped his jacket over her shoulders. "Not anymore, thanks," she replied.

Trying hard to remember the last time a guy removed his jacket for her, Bella realized it must have been Mike. Funny, she didn't feel light-headed like this with Mike. A tinge of guilt came over her for ditching him back at the bar. Mike expected her to wait for him to finish his shift so he could walk her home. It was a routine they shared many times before, but Bella realized it wasn't simply because Mike was concerned about her safety.

Edward started to light another cigarette before remembering his manners, then quickly slipped the pack of cigarettes back inside his pocket.

"Go ahead, I don't mind." Bella said casually. She was a social smoker herself, a habit she picked up her first year of college. Now fully immersed in graduate school she tried to cut down, but the stress of school, work and life in general made it tough to quit.

Lighting up and taking a long drag, Edward waited a few seconds before exhaling. He placed his hand lightly on Bella's shoulder before speaking softly into her ear, "I don't know about you but I'm not ready to call it a night. Unfortunately, I have no idea where we are or what is open this late. Do you have any suggestions?"

Bella was unsure if it was the breeze, or the vibration of his voice against her skin, but her goose bumps were back with a vengeance. Feeling a tingling sensation in both nipples, she quickly slipped her arms into the sleeves of Edward's jacket. Zipping up she thought she saw a frown pass over his face.

"Uh, there's a bistro down the street that stays open until four," Bella offered. "We could go there." A great all-night diner, one of Mike's favorite spots to go after work, was a block closer. She conveniently left out that option.

Food sounded like a good idea to Edward. Something to absorb the alcohol would be useful. He took Bella's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers, but let her lead the way. Surprised by how easy it was to talk to one another, neither hurried despite the unseasonal chill in the air. Edward took the lead as they entered the bistro, heading straight for an empty booth in the back. As he slid into the side facing the wall, Bella assumed he was simply being polite by offering her the seat with the view. Little did she know that even under the influence, Edward instinctively sought out the least visible seat in the restaurant.

Reaching across the table to take back Bella's hand, he lightly traced each finger. She blushed a little but didn't consider pulling away. Usually reserved about physical contact in public, Bella was surprised at herself. It couldn't be only alcohol that was drawing her to this guy, was it? This certainly wasn't the first time she'd ever been a little drunk but she was normally in more control of her emotions, not to mention her hormones. Yet his mere touch was sending shivers through her entire body.

A pretty waitress, probably another Columbia student, approached the table. Edward kept his head down, pretending to read the menu. Allowing Bella to order first, he continued looking down while asking for the French Dip and Coke. The waitress gave Bella a strange look before walking away.

"Weird, do you know her or something?," Bella asked.

Taken aback by the question, Edward stumbled a bit before he managed "No, never seen her before in my life."

Satisfied, Bella smiled while Edward continued stroking her hands one finger at a time. Shifting a little in her seat Bella's leg inadvertently brushed his under the table. Edward playfully responded, "You want to play footsie?" before sliding his legs forward then wrapping his calves around hers. "My legs are longer and probably stronger, you know." They both laughed nervously but neither tried to release themselves.

"So," Edward asked. "You're at Columbia? What are you studying?"

Time for twenty-questions, Bella thought. She didn't mind learning more about him but she hated talking about herself. "Oh God, this is so boring" she reluctantly began, "I'm about half way through a Master's degree in Visual Arts."

Looking confused Edward politely nodded. He wasn't sure what that meant, but he did appreciate the fact that Columbia was an Ivy League school so it must be impressive.

Unable to restrain herself, Bella began to laugh out loud. "You have no idea what that means, do you?"

Edward managed to admit "No, no idea whatsoever," before bursting into laughter himself.

Between their hysterics, Bella managed to explain that her studies were concentrated in the fine arts of photography and digital media, with a significant amount of theory and research tied in. "Told you it was boring."

Composing himself, Edward smiled. "Its not boring at all, I'd love to see your work sometime." He was being sincere, although the irony that Bella was a photographer was not lost on him. He spent a good deal of his time avoiding a certain type of photographer – the paparazzi.

They continued holding hands as Edward peppered Bella with more questions. She relaxed and was happy to fill him in on her life, although still eager to know more about him.

When the waitress delivered their food and Edward took a bite out of his French Dip, Bella decided to turn the tables.

"Where is home for you, Edward?"

Taking advantage of the time needed to chew, Edward thought about his answer for a few moments. "That's actually a really good question," he said between bites. "I've been traveling so much the past year or two that I don't really have a permanent residence besides my parent's place in Washington State."

"Wow, you're lucky to get the opportunity to travel so much. What's your favorite place?"

Little did Bella realize that although Edward traveled all over the world he rarely spent any quality time in one place. Definitely not enough time to see the sights. It was beginning to feel awkward, being so evasive with his answers. He wasn't exactly lying, but he wasn't being entirely truthful, either.

"Um," he said. "I really couldn't pick a favorite."

She let him off easy by changing the subject. "So, is Emmett your only brother?"

That one was easy to answer. "Thank God, yes. Emmett is all I can handle."

Speaking of Emmett, Edward wondered where he was or if he'd make it back to the hotel tonight. Remembering Emmett's proclamation earlier in the evening, he chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Bella asked.

The check sliding across the table saved Edward from having to come up with another half-truth.

"Sorry guys," the waitress said, "But we're getting ready to close."

Edward took the check and absent-mindedly handed the waitress a fifty, without even looking.

"We've closed down two places tonight, Bella," he said with a sly smile. "Now what?"

Bella arched her eyebrow and looked mischievously at him. "I guess its time for bed."

Again, they both burst into hysterics. Edward loved that she was just as witty as she was beautiful. He knew, well he assumed, that she was kidding about the bed comment. Still, the mere suggestion sparked something inside him.

Leaving the restaurant, he wrapped his arm around Bella and pulled her closer. The connection was palpable. As they walked around the corner, he reached over to her other shoulder, drawing her closer, face to face. Startled at first, Bella relaxed enough to wrap her arms around his waist and leaned in.

"Bella," he whispered softly into her ear. "I don't' want to say goodnight, but I know its late and I should get you home before dawn. That's the respectable thing to do, right?"

"Respectable, yes." She hated being so damn respectable!

Edward pulled her even closer, making it obvious she wasn't the only one whose body parts were beginning to stir. Tipping her chin up with his index finger, he brought his mouth to hers and softly pressed his lips against hers. They tenderly kissed several times before Edward teasingly sucked her lower lip into his mouth. Bella tugged away then ran the tip of her tongue over the top and the bottom of his lips, turning on a switch inside Edward that would be difficult to turn off.

Eagerly, his tongue entered her mouth, flitting against her tongue playfully, then more passionately. His hands slid up and down her back and gently along her sides, brushing lightly over her breast. Silently moaning, she pressed deep into him.

Surreal didn't even begin to describe how Bella was feeling at this moment. Never in a million years would she have imagined herself in a full-fledged make out session in the middle of a city street with a guy she met only hours earlier. She knew she should compose herself, gain some sense of control. She tried to slow down but the more he kissed and touched her, the more difficult it became to stop.

Sensing her hesitation, Edward pulled away momentarily before burying his head in her hair and exhaling deeply. Attempting to lighten the mood, and calm himself, he grinned slyly and looked into Bella's eyes. "As tempting as it is, Bella, I'm not going to let you molest me in the middle of a city street."

Bella wasn't sure if she should laugh or not. Then, without an ounce of her usual self-consciousness, Bella threw caution to the wind. She playfully ran her tongue around the outside of his ear before kissing it lightly, then whispered "Okay, then. Can I molest you at my place?"

"**TAXI!"** Edward cried as he instantaneously stepped off the curb to stop the yellow checkered cab driving past them.

Practically falling into the back seat, Bella caught her breath long enough to tell the driver her address then slid into Edward's lap. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as she leaned in and began softly kissing his neck, jaw line, chin and finally his delicious lips, sucking sensuously on the bottom lip as his whiskers tickled her. He nuzzled his head into her neck; kissing, flitting his tongue then nibbling from her collar bone to her ear lobes. Every inch of her body was turned on. From her position on his lap she was certain several inches of Edward were also aroused.

Tongues furiously darted in and of their mouths as Edward's hands moved to unzip the jacket Bella was still wearing. She moaned softly as his long fingers caressed her breasts over her tee shirt, tracing the outline of her nipples. Shifting herself to straddle him, Bella thrust her hips against the crotch of his pants.

"Oh my God, Bella, you're driving me crazy," he whispered as she began to grind. "Shit! How much farther to your place?"

His question was answered as the cab pulled to the curb. Pulling themselves off each other long enough to pay the fare and step out, neither Bella nor Edward were paying much attention as the cab door closed and pulled away.

For a few moments, neither of them were sure they would make it inside. As soon as Bella's feet touched the sidewalk, Edward pulled her tightly into him. They kissed furiously while Edward's hand moved down Bella's body, massaging her breasts then reaching toward the zipper of her pants. Her hands slid up and down his muscular chest grabbing and groping, finally making their way to the waist band of his button-fly jeans.

"We should go inside," they whispered at the same time. Bella playfully led Edward by the belt loop toward her building, neither of them noticing the person standing in the dark next to the doorway.

Bella fumbled with her keys, looking up just in time to see a male silhouette walking toward them.. She gasped audibly as he came closer. The man pushed Bella out of the way then took another step before cold-cocking Edward in the face.

As Edward struck the pavement, Bella started screaming, "Mike! What the hell did you just do?"

**Hope you liked this chapter – it was fun to work on. Please leave feedback and I promise to update soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you so much to those who have left reviews. This is my first attempt at fan fiction and I really appreciate any and all feedback. **_

_**Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyers, The City is all mine. I hope you'll enjoy both. **_

**Chapter 4: Seeing Stars**

Emmett's head hit the pillow at the precise moment his IPhone began buzzing. A head covered in long blonde hair slightly lifted off his bare chest while muttering, "Who is calling you at this hour?"

It had been a _good_ night. Granted, things started out rough but Emmett loved a challenge. All it took was an extra dose of Cullen charm for Rosalie the Ice Queen to melt into his arms, and soon after into his bed. Reaching his brawny arm across the bed, Emmett grabbed his phone from the nightstand and checked the Caller ID. He groaned as he recognized his brother's number just before answering, "What?"

"Um, Emmett," a female voice replied timidly. "This is Bella, the bartender you and Edward met tonight. Do you remember me?"

Of course he remembered her, but why did she have Edward's cell phone. Sitting up slightly, Emmett wrapped his free arm around Rosalie's shoulders, pulling her closer. "Yeah, sure. Did my brother leave his phone at the bar or something?"

…..

_Bella sighed, wishing that was the reason for her call. Less than a hour earlier she was in the midst of the hottest make-out session she could remember, every ounce of her body throbbing for more. Just as she and Edward entered her building, Bella saw her friend Mike walking toward them. Seconds later Mike shoved her out of the way then sucker punched Edward squarely in the jaw. He stood in shock as Edward fell to the ground and Bella began screaming._

"_Mike, what the hell are you doing?" she shrieked. _

"_Bella, why are you yelling at me? I'm doing a you a favor. That guy was all over you. I saw him with my own eyes," Mike emphatically explained. _

"_You what? You were watching us? For how long?" she hissed._

"_Long enough," Mike huffed in disgust. "Bella, you're drunk. He got you drunk so he could take advantage. That is what sleezy creeps like him do to girls like you."_

_Bella glared at him before speaking in an eerily calm but hostile tone. "Mike, I am not a girl. I'm a grown woman. I am responsible for myself. I make my own choices. You do not interfere nor have any say in those choices."_

"_Bella, come on...."_

_Seething, Bella continued. "Do not interrupt me. I have NEVER been so pissed off at anyone in my life. You are going to help me carry Edward inside. Then you are going to leave. If he decides to press charges, I will give him your name, address, phone number and any other piece of information needed including a sworn eyewitness account of what just happened. Do you understand me?"_

_It took a few minutes to get Edward up and safely inside Bella's two-bedroom apartment. Once they had him stretched our on the couch Bella looked at Mike with complete disdain before ordering him out._

…..

"No, Emmett." Bella continued. "Actually, Edward is right here with me. Except he's sort of unconscious right now." She looked up at him from her seat on the floor next to her sofa, absent-mindedly stroking his arm.

"Oh," Emmett snickered. If it weren't so late he would be laughing out loud. "He passed out on you!"

"No, no. Just listen for a minute," she said urgently. "He got hurt."

Suddenly serious, Emmet sat up straight. "What do you mean hurt?"

"He got punched in the face, from out of the blue. He's not bleeding or anything that I can tell but he's out cold."

Emmett dropped his head into his hands for a few seconds before speaking again. "Bella, tell me your address. I'll be right there."

"Do you think I should call 9-1-1? What if its something serious?"

"Definitely NOT. Please don't do that, Bella, okay? Wait until I get there." The last thing Edward would want is a paparazzi shot of him being wheeled around on a stretcher.

Fortunately Bella's apartment was a short ride from the hotel. Rosalie wasn't happy when Emmett said he needed to go alone, but she gave in after he promised her a "big surprise" when he returned.

Jumping out of the cab, Emmett ran to the front door of Bella's stone building and buzzed her apartment. He opted to run up the two flights of stairs rather than take the elevator, knowing that he could beat it. The door was slightly ajar as he walked inside. Entering the cozy two-bedroom apartment, Edward saw his brother stretched out on the sofa directly ahead in the living room.

"Hi,' Bella spoke softly. She was leaning over Edward, gently stroking his face. "He's groggy but he's starting to stir a little." The lights were dim, requiring Emmett took a few steps closer before squinting to look at his brother's face.

"Is that a frozen hamburger patty on his face?" Emmett asked.

Bella looked up at Emmett with a faint smile, "No, it's a veggie burger."

"Um, why?"

"Because I'm a vegetarian," she answered innocently while Emmett shook his head in dismay.

Hearing his older brother's voice, Edward's eyes opened half-way as he gingerly turned his neck toward Emmett. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Its nice to see you too, asshole."

Taking a few seconds to process where he was, Edward looked up at Bella who was still fussing over him. "Hi, beautiful," he muttered with a slight smile.

"She's beautiful, I'm the asshole…nice."

Bella leaned down and gingerly kissed Edward's forehead. "Wow…you did hit your head, didn't you?"

Emmett pulled a chair up to the couch to get a better look. "How do you feel?"

"Like I just got hit by a truck. And this side of my face is so cold its numb." Emmett smirked at Bella.

"Its just from the cold compress, to keep the swelling down. How're you feeling?" she asked.

Looking around the apartment, it finally registered with Edward that he was lying on a sofa in an apartment he did not recognize. And even though some of the details of the evening were fuzzy, he was pretty sure Emmett was not with he and Bella just before he blacked out. "What the hell happened?"

Bella recounted the story as Emmett's muscles tensed and his face turned deep red. "Where is this guy now, Bella?" he demanded.

From the couch Edward reasoned, "Em, you're not going anywhere near him. I don't need my older brother fighting my battles." Impressed by his rational demeanor, Bella had no clue Edward was doing some of the best acting of his life. He was in too much pain to do anything about it right now, but Edward was enraged. Enraged about being blindsided, but even more so because Mike seemed to have been spying on them.

"Edward." Bella asked sweetly as she stroked his forehead. "Can I pull this cap off your head to make sure there aren't any gashes? You hit the ground pretty hard." Too dazed to argue, Edward let her carefully remove his favorite blue knit cap. Softly running her fingers through his mop of brown hair, she felt for any bumps or scrapes. Emmett sat in astonishment, not sure when his brother had ever let anyone – even a beautiful woman – take away his treasured cap.

"It doesn't feel like there's anything there, except a lot of hair." Bella said. "Let's see if we can get him up and walking around."

Emmett provided a steady arm as Edward slowly stood up. Taking a few steps forward, he started to sway before Emmett sat him back down.

"Edward," Emmett said firmly, "We gotta call Jasper. You need to get checked out."

"Whose Jasper?" asked Bella.

"A friend," Edward quickly answered. "Emmett, why don't you take me back to the hotel and we can call him from there." He did not want to impose anymore than he already had on Bella, nor did he want the craziness of his life to be suddenly thrust upon her.

"I'm not taking you anywhere, dude. Not until you get checked out." Emmet said decisively.

"Why don't you just let me call 9-1-1?" Bella pleaded.

"No!" both brothers answered in unison.

Emmett realized exactly what was happening. When he and Rosalie left the bar earlier in the evening, Bella had no idea who Edward was. Clearly that had not changed.. Edward obviously wanted to keep it that way for now. Thinking fast, Emmett stepped out into the hallway to make a phone call. Jasper answered his cell only after letting the first three calls roll to voice mail. "This better be good, Emmett."

After quickly explaining to Jasper the chain of events, Emmett walked back inside the apartment. Bella was in the kitchen preparing another cold cloth, giving the brothers few seconds to talk privately.

"Edward," Emmett whispered. "Don't worry, I'm not going to blow this for you. But you've got to be looked over. Jasper's arranging for the hotel's on-call physician to come here."

"No way," Edward groaned, as he started to sit up. "Take me back to the hotel." Before his feet could hit the hard-wood floor, Emmett pushed him back onto the sofa.

"Listen to me. Don't be a stubborn prick. Let the guy check you out here first."

"Whose coming here?" asked Bella, overhearing the last part of their conversation as she walked in from the kitchen.

"Bella," Emmett began, "Is it okay with you if a doctor comes by your place to check Edward out? If its not too inconvenient?"

"Uh, sure." she answered skeptically. "I didn't know doctors still made house calls."

Sensing Bella's doubts, Emmett motioned for her to meet him in the kitchen so they could talk privately. Leaning against the counter top, he wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders and began explaining in his most sincere tone, "To be honest, Bella, this is a private on-call doctor. A family friend." Emmett didn't like lying but loyalty to his brother was more important this time around. "Edward will do anything to avoid going to the hospital unless its absolutely necessary. Its just a weird thing about him and he's probably a little embarrassed to admit that in front of you."

Instantly sympathetic, Bella promised Emmett she was absolutely fine with the doctor coming to her apartment. As they re-entered the living room, Edward eyed his brother suspiciously.

"Can I sit here, Edward?" Bella asked coyly as she slipped onto the cushion next to him. Without hesitation he made room for her, casually draping his arm around her tiny waist while she rested her hand on his thigh. The events of the last hour had lifted both of their buzzes, but the connection between them remained.

Within a half-hour, a well-dressed man in khakis and a crisp blue button-down shirt arrived at Bella's place. Carrying a canvas bag filled with his medical equipment, he smiled warmly as Emmett brought him inside. "Good morning, everyone. It is morning, right?" .

Emmett quickly interjected, "Dr. McKnight, thank you for coming at this hour." Fortunately Jasper thought to text him with the name of the hotel doctor. It would have been awkward if he didn't know the name of their supposed family friend.

Glancing across the room, Dr. McKnight walked straight to Edward, taking a seat on the wooden chair Emmett had occupied. As he opened his bag, the doctor turned to Bella and Emmett, "Do you think Edward and I could have a few minutes of privacy?"

This wasn't a strange request, but the apartment was so small Bella wasn't exactly sure where the best place was to go. She thought about leaving the apartment before leading Emmett down a short hallway to her bedroom. Somewhat embarrassed at the pile of dirty laundry in the corner and unmade bed, she apologized. "Sorry for the mess, I didn't exactly have a chance to clean up."

"Edward's kind of a neat freak," Emmett teased. "Probably a good thing he didn't see this.."

Bella was momentarily mortified until Emmett assured her he was kidding.

As Dr. McKnight began his examination, he flashed a pen-light into Edward's eyes, carefully looking at his pupils and then examining his skull. Skillfully running through his routine, he casually inquired "So, any drugs other than alcohol tonight, Mr. Cullen?"

"None," Edward replied flatly.

"I'm a doctor, you have complete confidentiality here."

"I realize that," Edward responded, slightly annoyed. "The answer is still no."

"Okay, understood. I have to ask."

Finishing up within fifteen minutes, Dr. McKnight began placing his instruments back in the medical bag. "Edward, you look fine. Banged up and obviously inebriated but otherwise, you are okay. I want you to rest. Are you supposed to work today?"

"No, not until tomorrow."

"Good, I don't expect you'll have any problems but I want you to call me if the pain doesn't subside in 24 hours or if you feel nauseous at any time. Shall I call your friends back in?

As if they were listening for their cue, Bella and Emmett returned to the room.

Speaking to Bella and Emmett now, the doctor described in detail what he checked for before saying "Looks like Edward got lucky. He'll have some bruising on the cheek and jaw bone but the cold pack you've been using so far will help keep the swelling down."

Bella shot an "I told you so" glance at Emmett.

"Can we move him," Emmett asked.

"Only if its absolutely necessary. I'd like to see him get some rest first."

"Edward you can stay here," Bella offered emphatically, taking back her place on the sofa next to him. "There's no reason to go back to your hotel." Afraid of sounding overanxious, Bella added, "Unless you'd be more comfortable there."

Lightly pushing a strand of hair from her forehead, he spoke softly into her ear, "I would love to stay here with you, if you swear its not any problem at all."

Emmett escorted Dr. McKnight outside as Bella rushed to her room and furiously began kicking dirty laundry under the bed. She then quickly made the bed and fluffed pillows before rejoining Edward and Emmett in the living room. Helping his brother up from the sofa, Emmett stayed at Edward's side as they walked into the bedroom.

A sly smile came across Emmett's face as he looked at the bare floor, wondering where the laundry had gone. "Well," Emmett said, "If you are sure you'll be okay here I guess I'll get going."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked. "I can make you some breakfast or something if you're hungry."

"No, thanks," Emmett replied impishly. "I've got something tasty waiting for me back at the hotel." Edward rolled his eyes and Bella blushed as Emmett made his exit.

Feeling suddenly awkward, Bella shuffled around her room nervously before deciding they could both use something cold to drink. "I'm going to get some water. Uh., make yourself comfortable, okay?"

Edward looked around her room in awe. One wall was painted white brick, lined with shelving and dozens of books on Art and Photography. Several albums, photo albums he assumed, were stacked on top of each other. He never stayed in one place long enough to have a collection of books like this. A cd player and and IPod base rested on the bottom shelve with too many cd's to count. On the opposite wall, an eclectic assortment of photographs hung from clothes pins on long wires that stretched along one whole wall. People, places, things. A close up of a middle-aged couple with proud smiles on their faces. Edward wondered if those were Bella's parents.

As she returned to her room, Bella was stopped in her tracks by the sight of Edwards shirt and pants lying on her floor. He had tucked himself under the covers and was playfully sitting up waiting for her. "You said to make myself comfortable, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did actually. So are you comfortable now?" she asked as she handed him a glass of cold water and two aspirin. Walking around to the other side of the bed, Bella slid in next to him.

He sipped the water and gulped down the pills. "I am very comfortable. In fact, I'm pretty damn good right now." He reached over and pulled her close to him.

"The doctor said you should rest, you know."

"I'm in a bed. Does that count?" he teased as his lips softly pressed against hers, his tongue gently pushing her mouth open. "Oh yep, I'm definitely feeling better now."

Bella giggled as she tugged at his lower lip with her teeth. His beard ticked her lips anytime she strayed the slightest bit from his warm mouth. Running her tongue along his teeth, she gasped when he took a little nibble. Taking her hand in his, he brought her long delicate fingers to his mouth, first kissing then lightly sucking one finger at a time.

Bella moved her mouth to this jaw, gingerly kissing along the injured area then to his chin before moving back up to his lips. He pulled her ear to his mouth, his strong tongue darting in and out as he kissed around it, her neck and then gently tugged at her lobe. Both of their hands wildly ran through the other's hair until Edward slid one hand carefully down her arm, to her side then finally resting on her waist

Pushing her tee shirt up, Edward's hand slid around to her back as he deftly unsnapped her lace and silk bra. His hands moved to her breasts, softly cupping one at a time. For a petite girl Bella was rather well-endowed and Edward loved the supple feeling of her full breasts in his hand. As he removed his other hand from her soft hair, he slipped her shirt off and helped slide her bra straps down her lean arms.

With both hands, he continued to caress each plump breast, teasing Bella's rapidly hardening nipples. Taking one into his mouth, he playfully sucked while teasing the nipple with his tongue.

"Oh fuck, Edward you don't know how good that feels."

"I can tell you like it. You are so fucking sexy, Bella. " He blew a cool breath over he nipples, making them stiffen even more and sending a shiver down her entire body.

As he pulled him self over her, Edward gently pushed her legs apart. She could feel his throbbing cock grow as it pulsated against her jeans. Running his fingers from her shoulders, down to her breasts then over her abdomen, he stopped at the waist band, looking into her eyes. "Is this okay?"

"Oh God yes, please." Bella pleaded.

Sliding down, Edward unzipped her pants and swiftly pulled them off. He kissed his way up her legs until he reached her panties. "Good lord, what are you doing to me?" he moaned.

She was wearing the skimpiest of lace underwear, barely covering a small triangle of hair.

"Do you like them?"

"No, not at all. In fact, they're coming off right now." Edward answered as he recklessly

pulled them down her silky legs and tossed them on the floor.

His lips moved slowly back up her body, kissing the inside of her calves, thighs then stopping to place a gentle kiss just below her abdomen. His tongue circled both nipples before continuing his trail to her lips. Bella met his soft kiss with an almost desperate response, unable to restrain herself from tugging at his bottom lip with her mouth then forcing her tongue between his open lips. Her slight hands moved down his chest racing to his boxer briefs. She placed one hand on each of his hips then slid them both into the waistband, shivering as her hands ran over his hips and down the outside of his thighs. A gentle tug pulled them down to his knees, revealing his fully erect cock.

Edward kicked his briefs off at the same time he reached down with both arms to bring Bella's face back up to his. As she lie fully naked in front of him, every ounce of her quivered. He ran a long index finger along her lips slowly, then playfully inserted it into her mouth as she sucked. Using his free hand to push a tuft of hair from in front of his blue eyes, he gazed at Bella. "Bella, do you want me as much as I want you right now?"

Unable to speak, Bella took his hand and moved it to her wet pussy. Edward's fingers slid along the moist patch, tickling her clit before finding their way to her entrance. Bella arched her back and moaned in ectasy. "I can make you cum, Bella. Is that what you want me to do?"

"God, yes, please Edward"

With this mouth suckling on her throbbing breasts, Edward reached down and began slipping his fingers in and out of her while his thumb massaged her clit. Trembling from head to toe, Bella called out "Edward, I can't take it anymore…please I need you inside me."

Edward looked up at her exquisite face flush with desperation. Blood pulsed to his rock hard cock as he sensed her body literally aching for him. "Bella, I have protection."

" I'm on the pill. I'm safe if you don't want to…."

"Me, too." He answered before she could finish.

Bella opened her legs wider, bent her knees and arched upward to meet Edward's body. He slid inside her as they both moaned. "Fuck, you're so tight. My God, Bella. You're so tight and so wet. I don't know how long I can last."

Instantly they were in rhythm, thrusting back and forth. Sliding along his length she stopped at the tip, grinding on the head of his dick playfully. "Holy shit, girl, you don't' know what you're doing to me." He pushed deeper inside of her as she wrapped her legs around him. "Hold on," he said as he rolled over and placed her on top.

As Bella sat up, she slid herself up and down his rod slowly before quickening the pace as if riding him. Every stroke up and down drew gasps from each of them, bringing both to the brink of orgasm. As they reached the height of their passion, Edward slowly rolled Bella over on her back again, never losing their connection. "Bella, it has never felt like this for me before."

He began thrusting wildly as her body responded in shudders and quiet moans. Bella felt herself quaking as his throbbing cock spilt inside her.

It was several minutes before either of them could speak. Breathless and dazed, Bella finally uttered the first words. "Not bad, for the first time, huh?"

Edward froze. That was "not bad?" Fuck, it was the hottest, most-intense sex he'd ever had in his life. Was this girl honestly implying it could get any better?

Her giggle and devious smile eased him somewhat as they rolled toward one another.

"Well," he responded with raised eyebrows and a smirk, "Remember I'm not 100% right now, my injury and all."

Looking deeply into Bella's dark brown eyes, Edward leaned closer and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Bella, that was mind-blowing. You are fucking incredible."

He pulled her closer to him, resting her head between his shoulder and chest. Lying completely bare, still dripping from each other, Bella and Edward simultaneously closed their eyes and fell asleep.

Hours later, their bodies still intertwined on top of the sheets as they slept soundly, neither heard Bella's roommate Angela return home. Shuffling her feat down the hallway, Angela dropped her duffel bag inside her room before heading toward Bella's door. This was their routine whenever one of them went away, getting together for girl talk to share secrets .

Flipping on the hall light, Angela took a few more steps before quietly opening Bella's door. "Bella, are you sleeping?" she asked innocently before the hall light fully illuminated the room.

Angela's eyes opened wide as she looked directly into the face of Bella's guest.

Edward's eyes squinted in the light as he quickly grabbed a sheet to throw over their naked bodies.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry…" Angela called back as she ran out of the room.

Alarmed by the commotion, Bella jumped up. "What's going on?" she asked Edward.

"I think your roommate got home early." Edward said groggily.

Jumping up, Bella grabbed her robe from the bed post. "I'll be right back." Finding Angela in the kitchen, Bella gulped before blurting out. "So I met someone this weekend."

"Yeah, I'll say!" Angela exclaimed. "How, what, where? Oh my God Bella I have so many questions."

"Okay, just calm down. It's a long story and I can't go into it right now. I'm sorry you – uh—walked in on what you walked in on. I didn't think you'd be home until really late."

"Forget all that, Bells. Its not like you haven't seen Eric run naked between the shower and my bedroom a dozen times. But how the hell…."

"How the hell what?" Bella asked, somewhat confused.

"How the hell did you manage to get Edward-fucking-Cullen in your bed?"

_**I hope you enjoyed Chapter 4. It was fun to create. Please leave me your feedback. Thanks!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Disclosure

Chapter 5:

Bella slumped to the kitchen floor, oblivious to the cold ceramic tile against her bare legs. How could she be so stupid? He must think she was the most dimwitted bimbo on the planet. Her

face turned red as she fought back tears of frustration. Oh God, if only she could just erase the last twenty-four ecstasy filled hours. She had never even heard of the movie "Breakout",

much less its star, Edward Cullen. While Bella focused on her Master's Degree over the past year, apparently he was rising to the heights of mega-stardom.

"Angela, are you sure?" she asked over and over when her roommate explained exactly who Edward-fucking-Cullen was. It took a stack of old tabloids from Angela's room, with his face

splashed across countless pages and covers for Bella to fully understand. Flipping through the magazines, she saw countless photos of Edward at movie premieres, award ceremonies,

concerts, leaving restaurants, even walking his dog. In almost every shot a different woman was at his side. "Oh my God, Angela. I feel like I'm going to be sick," she whimpered before

burying her head in her hands.

Angela sat down on the floor and began rubbing Bella's back. "Come on, now. Don't make this a bigger deal than it is, sweetie."

Bella's head snapped up in irritation as she narrowed her eyes, "This _is_ kind of a big deal, Angela. You know I don't sleep around. I haven't been with anyone since Jake…." Her voice

trailed off as she thought of her ex-boyfriend, Jacob Black. Together during their junior and senior years of college, Bella assumed things would continue after graduation until he

decided to go to medical school in Boston. The long distance thing only worked for few months before Bella came to the realization that Jake was too busy to handle both a heavy course

load and a serious relationship.

"Bells, you are jumping to conclusions."

"You saw the same pictures I saw, Ang. They're your magazines."

Hearing footsteps from the hallway, Bella collected herself as Edward walked into the kitchen. Wearing jeans but no shirt, his messy hair stuck out in a dozen different directions. As he

leaned against the stainless steel refrigerator, his eyes locked on the pile of magazines scattered on the floor. "Oh," he sighed as his head dropped down and he began nervously

running his fingers through his hair.

Angela was mesmerized, barely able to take her eyes off the sight in front of her. Bella cleared her throat twice attempting to get break her trance. Finally speaking up, she got her

attention. "Angela, do you think we could have a second alone?" Blushing, Angela clumsily scooped up her magazines before stumbling out of the room.

There was silence for several minutes before Edward finally spoke, "Bella? Are you alright.? Say something to me, please." He sat down on the floor next to her but she did not

acknowledge him.

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" she finally asked flatly. Her hair covered most of her face, but Edward could see tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What?" Edward asked incredulously. "Why on earth would I think that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Big time movie star shows up at a hole-in-the-wall bar and finds an clueless girl to play with for the night," she sniffed, desperately trying not to cry. It sickened her to

think Mike might have been right.

"Hey," Edward spoke in a soft and comforting voice as he pushed her hair out of her face. "You can't possibly believe that. Not after what just happened between us. I promise I'm not

that good of an actor." A sly smile crept across his face.

"I saw the pictures in the magazines. Dozens of pictures, countless women. How do you even keep track?" Edward could tell by Bella's tone that she was sickened at the possibility of

being one of a limitless list of his conquests.

He took a deep breath. "I'm not a saint, Bella. I've made mistakes, but not nearly to the extent you are imagining. Those photos, if you look close you can tell that ninety-nine percent are

photo shopped or staged. The one percent that aren't fake are probably of me with my agent or my publicist."

With wet eyes, she looked directly at him. She wanted to believe him. "Still, why not say something?"

He moved closer, pulling her head to his shoulder and wrapping his arms around her neck while he grasped for the right words. "What should I have said?" he finally asked. "That I'm a

movie star and you should treat me special? Should I have acted like a self-absorbed prick? You wouldn't have given me the time of day if I was that person."

Bella lifted her head, unwilling to let him off the hook so easily. "I asked you what you did for work."

"I told you I was an actor. I _am_ an actor."

"You're more than just an actor."

Taking both her hands into his, holding them tight to his chest, Edward continued. "I'm really not, Bella. Okay, I'm an very lucky actor - I'll give you that much. But I'm really just a guy. And

to tell you the truth, when I realized you didn't know anything about me it felt good to feel like just a guy. You and I connected, one-on-one, without all the superficial bullshit. If it was

selfish of me to try and preserve that for a while, I'm sorry."

Bella's resistance began to fade as she allowed him to pull her closer.

"Beautiful, beautiful girl. You're not going to let this be a deal breaker are you? I realize we've only known each other…um…has it even been twenty-four hours? But this isn't over already,

is it?"

Bella looked at the clock. "22 hours, actually."

Pulling her onto his lap, Edward whispered in her ear. "If you'll let me stay around, I promise full disclosure. Deal?"

Her resistance collapsed as he slid one hand through the opening of her robe, letting his fingers find their way to her breasts. She let out a soft whimper and leaned her head back to rest

under his chin. "In the interest of full disclosure," he whispered into her ear. "I have a raging hard-on for you right now."

"I can tell."

As they made their way down the hall, Bella noticed a yellow post-it note stuck to her bedroom door. "B - Went to Eric's for the night. . – A"

.................................

Edward returned to his suite tired but happy. It was difficult pulling himself away from Bella after they made love for a second time. He wanted to stay with her all night, to hold her, talk

and laugh, and watch her sleep. Even riding back to the hotel, he could not stop thinking about her delicate features, soft curves and how it felt to be inside her.

Falling into the large leather recliner he admired the view of Central Park from the floor-to-ceiling windows, trying to wrap his head around the events of the past day or so.

An innocent boys night out turned into a pretty wild ride. He rubbed his jaw, recalling the sucker-punch that knocked him out cold in front of Bella's apartment building.

A minor inconvenience at this point, well worth the TLC he received from her afterward. Edward wondered if Mike considered that possibility when he was hanging out in the shadows

spying on them.

Edward had been with many women. Not countless women as the tabloids implied, and he was certainly discreet enough that most of his exploits were kept out of the press.

Over the past year or so, he had become much more serious about work and less interested in partying and picking up girls. Meeting Bella was a surprise, to say the least. She was

beautiful without even trying, smart, funny, and incredibly sexy. It dawned on Edward that the next morning's filming included a love scene, which was is always awkward. Even more

difficult considering how much he despised his co-star. Smiling to himself, he was fairly certain he could pull it off by closing his eyes and trying to imagine her as Bella. Method acting at its

finest.

He never made it to the bedroom, dozing off in the chair. Hours later Edward awoke as Emmett stood over him with a soaking wet wash cloth, allowing drops of water to slowly fall onto his face. "What the fuck, Emmett?" he shouted. "What are you, like 8 years old all of a sudden?"

"Get up, you're late," Emmett growled back. "Take a shower, you look like shit and you wreak."

Sitting up, Edward lifted his arm pits and took a whiff. "I'm fine."

"Trust me, dude. You are not fine. Get in the shower and I'll let the guys know you'll be ready to roll in ten."

Reluctantly, Edward climbed out of the chair and headed for the shower.

"By the way…you, me, Rosalie and a friend of hers are going out for dinner tonight." Emmett called as his brother walked into the other room.

Turning his head around, Edward looked at his brother. "I'm what? With who?"

"Rosalie, the girl I met at the bar? She's really cool. Kind of stuck up but I like that," he grinned. "She's got a friend from work and they had plans tonight, so I invited the two of them to

join the two of us."

"No. I'm not double dating with you, Emmett."

"Why not? I'm sure she's hot."

"Not interested."

"Since when? Oh wait just a minute. You spend one night with a girl and all of a sudden your in an exclusive relationship?"

"I'm taking a shower now."

Emmett mumbled "pussy" under his breath before speaking loud enough for Edward to hear. "That rectangular shaped white bar in the shower stall is called soap, by the way. Use it!"

..........................................................

"_U awake?"_

"_Sort of. Where are you?"_

"_On set. U?"_

"_In Bed."_

"_Sav my place for later?"_

"_Definitely."_

"_On secnd thoht, how about cming my place?"_

"_Your hotel?"_

"_I'm bad at textng"_

"_That's ok. You're good at other stuff…"_

"_I'll call u when I'm done here"_

"_See you later Edward"_

_.............................................._

It had been a long time since Edward was nervous before a date. He looked around the suite. Fortunately he hadn't been there long enough to trash the place. Room service brought up

a two bottles of wine and he placed a dinner order to be delivered later. He even had the Concierge arrange for flowers and an assortment of candles in the living area.

Emmett didn't take it well when Edward told him to either stay in his room or be gone for the night. Probably because he was still unhappy about Edward's refusal to go out with Rosalie's

friend. But in the interest of family harmony , Emmett promised that if he came home at all tonight, he would go straight to his room.

A soft knock at the door let Edward know she was here. He took a deep breath before opening the door, then gasped. She was gorgeous in a tee shirt and bar apron, so why should he

be surprised at how stunning she was now? Wearing a simple black cotton tee-shirt dress, she tilted her head and smiled at him as their eyes met. Her hair was blown out straight,

pulled away from her face with a beaded hair band. As Edward dropped his head in utter amazement, he noticed her perfectly painted red toenails and a silver toe-ring poking out from

her sandals.

"Come in, Bella." The words were barely out of his mouth before he shut the door and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "God, you smell so good."

Taking her by the hand, he led her to the secluded patio. As he poured two glasses of Merlot, Bella made her way to the brick wall at the edge of the terrace admiring the spectacular

view the city at sunset.

Edward joined her with their wine and wrapped his arm around her. Running his hand all the way down her back before playfully cupping her ass, he was instantly aware that she wasn't

wearing panties. His pants began to quiver. Trying to gain control of himself, Edward slid his hands upward as he began rubbing her back. No bra either. "Holy shit, I'm so fucked," he

thought to himself.

Pulling away slightly without letting go of her hands, Edward turned toward her as he looked her over from head to toe. "Bella, you can't honestly believe you can show up

here looking like that, then expect me to wait until after dinner before having my way with you."

As she took a step closer, Bella leaned in just enough to let the tips of her breasts press against him as her hands explored his chest. She tilted her head and looked into his blue eyes

flirtatiously. "Is there a rule book that says we can't have dessert first?"

Without hesitation, he lifted her up and carried her to the chaise lounge underneath the canopy. As she laid down against the plush cushions, Edward positioned himself at the foot of the

chaise, carefully slipping off her sandals before kissing each of her toes. The tip of his tongue made circles along the inside her sleek calves and thighs as he found he way to the hemline

of her dress. Pushing the fabric up just enough to see the faint trace of hair above a pair of moist lips, he continued moving his tongue along her inner thighs.

"Edward, you're making me so hot," Bella gasped. "Please don't' stop."

"I'm almost there, Bella, wait for me." As he moved a few inches closer, Edward moved his mouth to her clit, first letting the tip of his tongue tickle it before placing gentle kisses on both

sides of her. His tongue flitted around teasingly before plunging inside, triggering an uncontrollable trembling all over her body.

"I can't hold back, baby!"

"Don't hold back, Bella. Cum for me. I want you to cum."

Edward forcefully thrust his tongue inside her as she continued to shake. Her fingers furiously knotted through his hair as he buried his face into her. Screaming in ecstasy, Bella's entire

body shuddered for several more moments.

Edward crept up to her face that glistened with beads of perspiration. He rubbed his fingers along her lips then placed one sweet kiss on her cheek. "Bella, I have never met anyone like

you. Jesus. Just watching you, knowing I'm doing that for you. You have no idea what that does to me."

Bella reached her hand to his face, lightly stroking his chin. "Edward, that is the first time I've ever felt anything like that. Look at me I'm still trembling." She blushed a bit in

embarrassment although she knew he didn't mind. They laid next to each other on the lounge for a long time. Sipping wine, looking at the night sky, entwined in one another's arms.

"Bella?" Edward finally spoke.

"Yes."

"I didn't used to believe in love at first sight."

-------------------------------------------------

**Hope you like Chapter 5! This is really fun, and as some of you already know, its my first try at fanfiction so I love any and all feedback!**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: Love Past and Present**

"This feels so weird, Angela"

"Calm down, Bells. Millions of people have already seen it. Why shouldn't you?"

"Can I at least refill my wine glass first?"

"If you refill mine, too. And another slice of pizza while you're up, please."

Bella carried a bottle of red wine and the remaining pizza from the adjoining kitchen into their living area, carefully placing the cardboard delivery box

on the coffee table before pouring two more glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. Movie night used to be a regular thing for the roommates, until

graduate school, jobs and boyfriends got in the way. Tonight was a special occasion, penciled in on both their calendars for the past three weeks.

Bella was finally going to see one of Edward's films. Angela was there for moral support and, of course, to share the traditional movie night fare of

pizza with the works and lots of wine.

After pulling dimming the lights and pulling down the roman shades over the large living room window, Bella settled into her seat on the overstuffed

sofa, "We haven't done this in forever…" .

Angela was on the floor next to the tv stand, placing a disc into their DVD player. "I know. How long has it been?"

"Well, last time it was you, me, Eric and Jake. So that should tell you something."

With the remote in her hand, Angela joined Bella on the couch. "Um, since you mentioned Jake – he's coming in town soon. Eric got an email. I guess

he wants to get together." .

"Oh," Bella answered in a flat tone, surprising herself at her reaction – or lack of reaction – to news of her ex-boyfriend's impending visit. A few

months earlier, the mention of Jacob Black would make her stomach weak, cause a little shortness of breath and eventually, sadness. She loved

Jacob. He was her first true love. Their break-up was not bitter, more a sad realization that his priorities had changed. Bella often thought it would

have been easier if there were a big fight, if he acted like a jerk, even if he found someone else. Instead she spent months getting used to the fact

that she no longer fit into his life.

"Are you there?" Angela waved her hands in front of Bella's dazed expression.

Bella shook her head, "Yeah, yeah. Sorry…I just tuned out for a second."

Previews for upcoming releases began playing in the background as Angela looked directly at Bella's delicate face, trying to gauge her expression.

Placing a concerned hand on her friend's arm she asked, "Should I have kept my mouth shut about Jake? Is it still too hard to hear about him? I

thought maybe since you and Edward…"

Circling the rim of her wine glass with her index finger, Bella took a deep breath before answering "No, not at all. I brought his name up. I know Jake

and Eric are friends. I'm glad they'll be able to get together."

"Actually, I think Jake meant getting together as in the _four_ _of us_ getting together."

"Oh. Well, I don't know. I guess it depends on my school and work schedule. And some other stuff…."

"Do you mean other stuff as in Edward?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Angela rolled her eyes a little before Bella shot back, "I really do have stuff to do for school. I've got to get my project ready for the internship

application. Its due in less than two weeks."

Angela nodded knowingly. "Okay, well, at least think about it. I'm fine with whatever you decide, Bells. But you and Jake are going to have to face

each other again at some point. His family lives in the city. I'm surprised you haven't run into each other before now."

"I know you're right, Ang. I just need some time to think it through, okay? Now can we watch this movie?"

"More wine first!" Angela declared.

After opening a second bottle of wine, the women stretched out comfortably to watch "Breakout." Bella spent the first several minutes with one

hand covering her face, the other clutching her glass of wine. "He looks so different on screen, don't you think? Its like its not even _my _Edward."

Angela smirked, "Remember that in about an hour, when its not _your_ Edward ripping clothes off what's-her-name."

. . . . .

Two empty bottles and half way through the movie, buzzing from the apartment's intercom interrupted a passionate love scene between Edward

and his co-star. Startled, Bella jumped in her seat, spilling wine down the front of her shirt.

Angela hopped up to answer the intercom. "It must be Eric. He's playing softball tonight. Maybe they finished early." She darted to the door,

pressing the talk button on the intercom. "Hello?"

"Uh, hi, Angela is that you? Its Edward. Is Bella home?"

Both women froze in place for a few seconds before Angela answered, "Uh, sure, she's here. I'll buzz you in." As soon as her hand left the buzzer

Angela darted to the television while Bella ran to her room to change shirts. By the time Edward reached the front door, empty wine glasses and the

delivery box were cleared away and the tv was turned off.

Wearing a clean New York Yankees tee shirt, Bella answered the door before he knocked. "Hi," she said with a smile so wide that Edward was

immediately suspicious. He stood in the entry way looking casually sexy in button-fly jeans, a tan tee shirt and his favorite Birkenstocks. Bella felt the

butterflies in her stomach stir. "What a great surprise! I thought you were working…"

Edward was only a few steps inside the apartment before spying two empty wine bottles on the counter. "Uh oh…did I just walk in on a private

party?"

Angela giggled nervously, twirling her dark brown hair around her index finger while trying desperately to appear unfazed by Edward's presence.

"No, not at all. We just had some pizza and wine. Definitely more wine than pizza, though!" She was getting better at not staring, but when her

resistance was down it was impossible. She looked down bashfully before offering to open another bottle.

"Thanks, " Edward said as he took a full glass of wine from Angela's quivering hand. "Are you sure I'm not interrupting something?"

Edward leaned against the archway between the kitchen and living room as Bella slid both arms around his waist, stepping up on her toes to kiss

him. "No, of course not. I'm just surprised to see you. Weren't you supposed to shoot really late tonight?"

"Supposed to, yes." Edward shook his head in disgust, "Victoria claims to be too sick to work." Victoria Harper, Edward's co-star, was quickly gaining

a reputation as a diva. Bella knew he didn't like Victoria and apparently the feeling was mutual, but their off screen disdain for each other translated

to on-screen chemistry.

Trying to conceal the naughty thoughts creeping into her mind, Bella leaned in closer to Edward and buried her head into his chest. She loved the

way her head fit perfectly below his chin. Setting his wine glass on the kitchen counter, he wrapped both of his arms around her shoulders, pulling

her closer. "I'm not sorry she's sick." Bella giggled.

"**You** are going to be sick, too, if you consumed even half of the contents from those empty wine bottles I'm looking at." Edward teased.

Still fighting her nerves, Angela leapt across the kitchen floor to remove the evidence. Grabbing both bottles with one hand, she tripped over her

own feet, sending both bottles crashing down onto the ceramic tile floor. "Ahhh! Oh shit!" she screamed as shards of glass flew from one end of the

kitchen to the other.

Thinking fast, Edward lifted Bella up by the waist and carried her out of the kitchen then stepped back in to find Angela in the far corner, afraid to

walk across the floor in her bare feet. "Stay there Angela, I'll carry you out so you don't cut your feet." Angela began trembling as he came toward

her. "Don't be scared, I won't drop you." She stiffened as he tried to pick her up. "Just relax, don't tense your body – I can't carry you like that." Still

shaking, Angela tried to loosen up as Edward pulled her up by the waist. "Okay, wrap your legs around me." Suddenly Angela's legs were paralyzed.

"Its okay, you're not too heavy. Just wrap your legs around me like this…" Still nothing. Realizing he was getting nowhere, Edward grunted loudly

before lifting Angela up and over his shoulder, carrying her like a rag doll into the living room.

Embarrassed, Angela plopped onto the soft next to Bella. "Oh my God, Edward-fucking-Cullen just held me…" she thought to herself. Edward

assumed the stunned look on her face was due to the broken wine bottles, and the fact that she was clearly inebriated.

"Where's the broom, Bella?" he asked.

"In the kitchen, next to the refrigerator. Let me get my shoes."

As Edward swept, Bella held the dust pan and picked up the larger pieces as carefully as she could. Angela peeked her head around the corner. "I

should be doing that, I'm the one who dropped the bottles."

Bella laughed, "That's exactly why you're NOT doing it. You're in no shape."

With a guilty look on her face, Angela asked "Well, would it be okay if I left you guys alone then? Eric just texted – he's home so I thought I'd go

over."

Edward winked at Bella, waiting for her to answer. "Sure, Angela. We'll find something to do without you…"

As Angela darted down the hall and into her room, Edward shook his head. "I don't' think your roommate likes me very much. She leaves every time I come over."

……………….

"So, I've got a drunk girl and an empty apartment….what should I do?" Edward said playfully as he took Bella by the hand, leading her to the sofa.

As she stretched out on the sofa, he picked up the tv remote and pressed "on". Bella froze. Did Angela turn off the DVD player, or just the tv? As the

screen brightened, Edward's half-naked body came into view, as he peeled the clothes off another woman. "Oh, Jesus Bella, really? Were you

watching this?"

Mortified, Bella dropped her head and buried it into her hands. "I'm so embarrassed."

Gently prying her hands away from her face, Edward ran his fingers along Bella's cheek, "Come on, you don't need to be embarrassed. I'm just

surprised. I didn't know you had any interest."

Bella lifted her head to meet his gaze. "I was just curious. I mean, I've seen you on set the few times I've visited, but I haven't actually seen

your work. And apparently millions of people really like your films so I thought as your girlf….uh….I just wanted to see what everyone else already

saw. Does that make sense?"

Edward raised his eyebrows and laughed a little. "Not to change the subject, but did you almost call yourself my girlfriend just now?" Bella blushed,

amusing him even more. "So, you're not too embarrassed to do the things we do together…and to do them very well….but you're hesitant about

calling yourself my girlfriend? Bella….I feel so used," he taunted.

"Shut up," Bella cried, refusing to look into his eyes. "I'm already humiliated enough."

"Oh, so now its humiliating to be my girlfriend? Wow…that one hurts…" Edward continued to playfully torment her. "You watch my movies in secret

and you are ashamed to be my…"

Bella cut him off before he could say it. "Am I?"

Becoming more serious, Edward sweetly took Bella's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers before speaking. "Bella, its been a while since I've had

an actual girlfriend. If there needs to be a title, then I guess boyfriend or girlfriend will do. I just want to make sure you realize how special you are

to me. I've never felt the way I feel about you with anyone else--ever. If anything, I feel like the word girlfriend is too trivial."

Tears began to well up in Bella's eyes. "Okay, now I'm a complete mess," she sniffled. Edward pulled her closer, gently kissing away the tears. She

met his lips with hers, pressing softly before opening her mouth slightly. The tips of their tongues met, circling and teasing one another. Edward held

her tightly as they laid down beside each other on the sofa. Her hands threaded through his thick hair as their kisses become more intense.

Edward slid his hands underneath Bella's shirt, reaching around the back to unsnap her bra.

His hands roamed to her breasts, slowly caressing each then teasing her nipples. "I'm a Yankees fan, but this shirt is coming off…" he said as he

pulled it over Bella's head. His kisses traced back down her neck and chest before moving his mouth to one breast. The tip of his tongue circled her

dark pink nipple, then flitted over it a few times before taking it into his warm mouth.

"Oh God, Edward. You know I love that. Please don't stop"

Edward's mouth moved to the other breast, teasing the nipple again with his tongue before playfully taking it between his teeth. Bella moaned as

he flit his tongue over the tip of her hard nipple. "That turns you on, I can tell. What else turns you on baby?" he asked.

Bella took his hand, moving it to her crotch. Edward let his hands begin to massage over her cotton shorts, applying pressure with his thumb to her

most sensitive spots. "I can feel your heat through your clothes. Fuck, Bella!" He slid one hand inside the bottom her shorts, pushing her panties

aside. His fingers reached into her warm, moist area and began circling her clit. "You're so wet already, baby. Did I do this to you?"

"I can't help it, Edward. When you touch me like that…" His hands pulled away long enough to pull her bottoms completely off. Then, with his thumb

still teasing her clit he sunk three fingers inside her and began sliding them in and out . Bella moaned as her hips began to instinctively move with

him.

"Is this how you like to be touched, baby?" he asked.

Writhing in ecstasy, Bella could hardly answer. "Oh my God, just don't stop." His fingers plunged deeper inside of her as he felt her muscles tighten

and begin to shiver.

"Let yourself go, Bella. I want to feel you come." Bella cried loudly as her body shook. Edward kept his hand in place as he used the other hand to

remove is pants, then gently rolled on top of her. Looking directly into her chocolate brown eyes, he could not get past her perfectly beautiful face.

As he kissed her lips he teased, "Now its my turn."

Bella's hand reached down to take hold of Edward's firm cock. She began stroking it slowly, from the base to the head, excited by the pulse of blood

she felt rushing through its shaft. Gently breaking away from their kiss, she whispered into his mouth "I want to taste it."

He stifled a moan, rolling onto his back as Bella's head moved down past his chest and his stomach, stopping only when she reached the head of his

dick. As she took it into her mouth he gasped. Her tongue circled the tip several times before her mouth slid past the head and down the shaft, then

began moving up and down his entire length. She continued, lightly flicking her tongue along the sides. The tips of her fingers tickled his balls as she

kissed the base of his dick. Moving back to the head, she took it into her mouth and slowly sucked until he screamed. "Fuck Bella! You're going to

make me come."

Pulling Bella's face up to his, Edward gently rolled on top of her. As she pushed her hips upward, he slid inside. They moved in perfect rhythm. First

at a slow pace, then becoming more and more uncontrolled. Shivers surged through Bella as Edward ran his tongue down her neck, then blew soft

breath on it as he tenderly kissed each spot. Her hands reached to his head, knotting her fingers through his hair while their bodies moved back and

forth. H plunged deeper causing her hips to thrash desperately, craving more of him. "You want more, don't you

sweetheart?" he whispered. Suddenly he grabbed her hips, holding them tightly in place as he rolled over again, placing Bella on top. She moved up

and down wildly as he reached for her breasts. When her body began to shudder, Edward pulled her close to him. Losing all sense

of control they grinded into each other desperately until neither of their bodies could contain themselves a moment longer. Bella fell onto Edward's

chest as he wrapped both arms around her tightly and whispered, "In case you didn't know this already Bella, I am in love with you."

……………………………

Waking up the next morning, Bella found herself wrapped in Edward's arms in her own bed.

He must have carried her there from the sofa after she fell asleep. She was not sure if it was the wine or the sex, but she had practically passed out

last night after she and Edward made love. Gently lifting Edward's arm from around her waist, she slid out of bed and headed to the kitchen

to start coffee. As she walked down the hallway, Bella noticed her Blackberry on the table where she usually kept her keys and phone. Noticing an

email, she picked it up and opened the "In" box. Her hands shook as she read the message: "Dear Bells, I still miss you. Can we

please talk? I'm coming into town next week and need to see you. Always, Jacob"

-----------------------------------------------------------

**Thanks so much for all your great feedback. Please keep it coming! It is so encouraging and helpful, especially for a first timer. Hope you enjoyed Chapter 6 and don't worry...I won't keep you waiting long for #7.**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7: DITTO**

Edward sat inside his trailer, trying to ignore the noise emanating from the street outside. Filming on location today, in lower Manhattan no less,

meant dealing with the racket from downtown traffic, construction and frequent sirens. Not to mention the screaming fans who were packed like

sardines behind makeshift barriers and overzealous paparazzi willing to do anything for the money shot. It was virtually impossible to find a

a quiet spot to relax.

His trailer was better than most, but by no means posh. Similar to a suburban living room, it included a full-size sofa and two arm chairs rather

than to the typical cheap cushioned-benches one usually finds in a standard RV. A flat screen television hung on the wall next to a kitchenette. A

small bathroom and sleeping quarters were in the back.

Edward put in earbuds and began shuffling through his IPhone. Settling on Jeff Buckley, he stretched out on the sofa and closed his eyes. His

thoughts immediately went to Bella, as they almost always did when he had the luxury of a few quiet moments. Her delicate features and wavy

brown hair; the way loose curls fell down past her shoulders, brushing against her plump breasts. The depth of her chocolate brown

eyes when she looked at him longingly. And the perfection of her soft lips as they touched his. Edward thought about the fact that it had been

over a week since he told her he loved her. Since then, they had seen each other almost every day. Made love, God

knows how many times. He lost count. Sometimes it felt as if they could not get enough of one another. Ever. But there was more than just a

physical connection. They were amazingly comfortable with each other from the very beginning. She got his quirky sense of humor, and he loved

her teasing. He was blown away by her ambition – working her way toward a Master's Degree at an Ivy League institution. Most of all, he l

loved being able to just relax and be himself with Bella. They could talk for hours or they could be completely quiet. It had only been a little over

a month, but he could not imagine her not being part of his life. He wondered if she felt the same way. Should it bother him that she didn't say

she loved him, too? "Fuck, I'm such a pussy," he thought to himself.

A loud pounding against the outside of the trailer disrupted his thoughts, followed by Emmett and Jasper bursting through the door. Edward

pulled out his earbuds and looked directly at the them, obviously annoyed at the interruption. "What's so important that you can't wait for me to

answer the door?" he hissed.

"We knocked for five minutes. You didn't answer. " Jasper huffed as he took a seat across from Edward, dropping a paper bag stuffed with

submarine sandwiches on the table in front of them.

"If you're going to be stuck in here, we thought you should at least eat."

"Oh," Edward said sheepishly. "Thanks." He walked over to the fridge to grab three sodas.

Emmett pulled out the first sandwich, barely unwrapping it before taking a giant bite. "I fucking love authentic New York City subs," he mumbled while chewing.

"What's going on out there?" Edward asked as he unwrapped his lunch, motioning with his chin to the outside.

"Well," Jasper began, "There are about a hundred and fifty fans and twice as many paparazzi. All waiting for you to step outside."

"Shit, really?" Edward responded. He felt bad about the fans.

"Its crazy, Ed," Emmett interrupted. "The only good part is that your co-star thinks they are all there for her, so her big-ass ego is satisfied."

"For now," Jasper added with a sneer.

Looking at his manager, Edward asked, "So I'm stuck here until they're ready to shoot?"

"Unless you want to start a riot…yes."

Edward slumped back into his seat, deflated, then reached for his phone.

…………………..

Across town, a smile came across Bella's face as she instantly recognized the ringtone coming from her Blackberry. "Hi there," she answered

flirtatiously.

"Hey," Edward said, feeling better just hearing her voice. "What are you doing?"

"I just stepped out of the shower," she said flirtatiously. She had in fact just showered, and was wrapped in a towel but nothing else. "You?"

"I just wanted to hear your voice. Its a rough day - already."

"Anything I can do to make it better?" she purred.

Edward grinned slyly as he felt a tugging sensation in his pants, "Oh, there are few things I can think of, but I'm at work."

"Don't you get a lunch hour?" she teased. As if an hour was long enough. The mere vibration of his voice over the phone sent shivers up and

down her body.

"Aw, Bella, you're killing me. If it weren't insane down here I'd ask you to keep me company. Just trust me that it wouldn't be a good idea today. "

"I'll take a rain check. Anyway, I'm on my way to school. I've got a meeting with my advisor and I'm working tonight."

Edward sat up. This was the first time he'd heard of any kind of meeting with an advisor. "Wait, why are you meeting with your advisor? Is

everything okay?" He knew she was taking a course this summer, but that was about all she had shared with him, even

though he often asked her about school.

Bella loved that he was concerned. He admitted he missed being able to experience college, although it certainly hadn't hurt is earning potential.

"Don't worry. Everything is fine. I'm just…well, I'm applying for this internship next semester, and I need to meet with my advisor to go over my

portfolio before I submit the final application."

"Baby, are you serious? How come you haven't said anything?"

"Because the odds of being selected are like, a thousand to one. Literally. But I was asked to apply, so I'm doing it. That's all, no big deal."

"Bella, anything you do is a big deal to me. I want to talk about it tonight, okay? Call me when you can."

Bella's heart skipped just thinking about seeing him later that night. "I will, I promise. Bye, baby."

"Good bye, beautiful."

She looked at the time, calculating how many more hours until they saw each other when her phone rang again. "Missed me that much already?"

Bella answered playfully, assuming Edward had forgotten to tell her something.

"Bella," a familiar voice was on the other end, but it was not Edward.

"Jake?"

……………………………

Bella skipped down the steps in front of the Media Arts Building two at a time. The meeting with Professor Molina, her advisor, went better than

she had hoped. He loved her portfolio and made great suggestions for her application. Last but not least, he provided a glowing

recommendation. All in all, she was feeling really good. A lot better than she thought she would after the surprise call from Jacob.

Hearing from him after so long had thrown her for a loop. Bella was aware he was coming to town. Angela told her last week, and Jake sent an

email that she had yet to respond to. Somehow she had managed to put it all in the back of her mind and focus on the internship.

As her red converse sneakers hit the final step, she looked across at the marble reflecting pool,situated between a quad of academic buildings on

campus. Cascading streams of water squirted from the fountain. Reaching into her pocket book, Bella dug for a coin to toss in for good luck. She

took a few steps forward before freezing in place.

There he was.

Jacob.

Sitting casually on the ledge in front of the fountain, wearing familiar khaki shorts and a green polo that exposed his ripped biceps. His sleek

black hair was cut shorter than the last time she saw him. Seeing him there, in the same spot he used to wait for her when they were

undergrads, brought back a rush of memories and emotions.

Jake looked around, clearly watching for something, or someone. As his eyes locked in on Bella, he smiled wide and began jogging toward her.

Still frozen in place, Bella did not move a muscle.

"Bella!", he called as he came closer.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her shoulders rising in apprehension. She prayed that she would be able to say something…

anything…any words at all…preferably in English. Keeping her eyes closed for several seconds gave her some sense of control.

When she finally opened them again, he was there, less than a foot away. Chiseled features, warm smile and open arms.

"Jacob," she managed. "Oh my God, what are you doing here?"

Taking a step back, he could not help admiring her. She was even more gorgeous than he remembered. "My God, Bella, you look beautiful."

Her face became flushed. She fumbled with her words. "Um, thanks."

"I like that dress," he said, "I remember the dress."

Bella was wearing a simple blue and white sun dress with spaghetti straps, but she knew exactly what he meant. The last time Jake had seen

her wear it was almost a year ago, when they rented a boat at Central Park and spent a romantic afternoon floating around

the lake. At sunset, they dined on the terrace of the Boathouse restaurant holding hands throughout their dinner. He stifled a grin as he

remembered taking the dress off her later that night.

Bella stood before him in a daze.

"What's the matter, aren't you happy to see me?" He had hoped for at least a hug.

She was not sure if she was happy. Stunned would be a better adjective. "I'm just…surprised. How did you know I'd be here?"

"You told me, remember? When I called you earlier? You said you couldn't talk because you had to go to campus. I figured this is where you

would be."

"And you just waited here? Wow." Bella felt her head begin to spin.

"Bells, I didn't think this would be that much of a surprise. You knew I was coming to the city, right? Didn't you get my email? I never heard back

from you."

Walking to a nearby bench, Bella sat down and attempted to remain calm. "I'm sorry I didn't reply, yet. I was going to. I've just been so busy with

this project for school, and working, you know."

As Jacob sat down he draped his arm along the back of the bench. He turned to face her but Bella could not bring herself to look directly at him.

Attempting to ease the tension, he made a lame joke. "Hey, can't you even look at me? I mean, I know I'm butt-ugly, but its not like you haven't

seen me look even worse."

Despite her best effort a giggle forced its way out. Jacob was far from ugly. Tall, dark, muscular and classically handsome, he looked as if he

stepped right out of an Abercrombie ad. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she finally spoke. "Very funny."

"So, what's this all about , Jake? Your email said you needed to talk."

He looked around, nodding his head with a smile. "So, you did read it."

"I told you I did."

It was clear to him this was not going to easy. Jacob lowered his voice and spoke slowly – almost as if he had rehearsed what he was about to

say. "Bella, maybe this isn't the right time or place. I was hoping I could take you out to dinner or something."

"But we're here right now," she said. If he had something to say, she wanted him to spit it out.

"Yeah, we're here, together, for the first time in way too long," he conceded. "So, I'm just going to say this, okay?" He wrung his hands out of nervousness.

Bella nodded, then glanced around to make sure nobody was watching them. " I blew it. I know I blew it and I'm sorry."

"You blew it? Blew what?" she asked.

"It. Us. That's what I mean. I understand now, probably way too late, that I took us for granted, took you for granted. And I just needed to tell

you that, and that I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. And," he gulped, "I miss you." He looked directly into her

eyes as he said the last words, searching for a some sort of reaction.

Bella gave no hint about what was going on behind her big brown eyes. Yes, her heart was racing. Her mind was numb. But her eyes did not

betray her. For months she had longed to hear these words, but she was not going to let him know that now. "Jake," she

said in the coolest tone she could muster, "I don't know what to say. You don't owe me an apology. Relationships end."

Jake slumped over, his elbows resting on his knees and his head hanging down. "I also said I miss you. Did you hear that part?"

"Uh huh."

He turned his head to her. "Do you miss me?"

A pit formed in the bottom of Bella's stomach. She felt like she was riding an emotional roller coaster. The shock of hearing his voice for the first

time in months. The excitement after meeting with Professor Molina. Now, seeing him and hearing these words. "Is that why you came here? To

find out if I missed you?" She bit her quivering lower lip as teardrops began to form.

He pulled her closer to him, " Come on now, I feel like shit already. Don't make me feel worse," Jake said softly as tears began streaming down

her face. He wrapped both of his strong arms around her. She buried her head into his chest as he held her tight.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she sobbed. "I should be so happy right now."

Jacob eased his hold enough to look at her face to face. "Happy that I finally figured out what a self-absorbed prick I've been?" The confused look

on Bella's face told Jake that he misunderstood.

Sniffling, Bella tried to clarify what she meant. "I meant I should be happy about the meeting I just had. I'm up for a really great internship. I

didn't think I had a shot, but my advisor thinks I have a really good chance."

"Oh," Jacob answered, obviously expecting her to say something else. "That's great, Bella. Good for you. I'm not surprised, though. You have an

amazingly talent."

" I should be really excited. Instead I'm a blubbering idiot. And I've completely soaked your shirt." She lifted her head off his chest to examine the

damage. A large wet spot, and streaks of black mascara, covered one whole side of his chest.

Jacob glanced down nonchalantly, "That's fine. I deserved it." He kept his arms wrapped loosely around her, not wanting to let go. " Why don't

we go back to my house? I can change shirts and we can grab dinner somewhere?"

An anxious feeling came over Bella and again she fumbled with what she wanted to say. "Uh, Jake, I don't think I can do that." She could not

bring herself to pull away from him, but something inside told her it would be a mistake to take things any further.

He pressed his forehead against hers, pushing her hair back behind her ears, their lips mere inches apart. "Bella, please," he whispered. "I've

missed you so much."

She breathed in deeply, her thoughts whirling in a million different directions. "Jake, things are different now.…I…"

"Its just dinner, nothing more. Besides, I know you. You were so focused on your meeting that you've probably had nothing but coffee and Diet

Pepsi all day. Am I right?"

She shrugged. He did know her. "I guess I could eat."

Rising from the bench, he pulled her up with him and began walking toward the taxi stand. She held the bag with her laptop with both hands

until Jacob reached over and took it from her. "I can carry that." Just like they had done many times before, Jacob

carried her laptop in one hand with the free arm wrapped casually around her shoulder.

…………………………

Walking into the Black's brownstone for the first time in months, Bella instantly recognized the scent of freshly cut roses. His father had a

patio garden with half a dozen prize rose bushes that he cherished. The rest of the house was exactly as she remembered. A number of Native

American sculptures and artifacts were placed throughout this first floor, in recognition of their heritage. Most of the furnishings

were handcrafted on the Quilette reservation in Washington state.

As Jacob started up stairs, he look back at Bella, assuming she would follow. "Aren't you coming upstairs so I can change my shirt?"

Biting her lip, Bella shrugged her shoulders before answering. "Um, I'll just wait down here. I need to use the restroom."

As he disappeared to the second floor, Bella made her way to the restroom. As soon as the door closed behind her she began to hyperventilate.

"What the hell am I doing?" she thought to herself. She looked in the mirror.. Why hadn't Jake told her she had mascara

smudged all over her eyes? Turning on the faucet, Bella ran a wash cloth underneath the warm water then began dabbing it at her eyes. Once

her face was clean, she sat down on the toilet seat and took several long, deep breaths. She must have been in there

a long time, because Jacob eventually knocked on the door.

"Bells, you okay in there?" he asked in a concerned tone.

The door open and Bella walked out, only slightly more composed than when she went in.

"Hey, sit down in the kitchen for a second. I just found some snacks in the fridge. This can hold us over until we go to dinner."

Bella reached for a handful of grapes before her bottom had even hit the chair. Jacob was right. She was famished. As soon as she finished the

grapes, he placed a plate of cheese and crackers, then a vegetable dip, in front of her.

"I knew you'd be hungry!" he said with a laugh.

Having food in her system made Bella feel world's better. She hadn't realized just how starved she was. "Do you have anything to drink?"

Jacob reached in the refrigerator and came back with two Corona's. "Still your favorite?" he asked as he opened both bottles of beer and

squeezed lime wedges down the necks.

Bella had actually meant a soda or water when she asked for a drink, but one Corona wouldn't hurt. Sipping her beer, she looked around the

kitchen, spotting a picture of Jake and his dad that she had never seen. "That picture on the shelf, of you and Billy,

was that in Boston?"

Jacob looked up, then reached to the shelf for the framed photograph. "Yeah, that was this past Spring."

"It's a nice photo," she said. "So, do you like it there?"

Jacob took a long sip before placing his beer down on the table. "To tell you the truth, no. I'm a New Yorker. I'd rather be in New York. But when I

got into Harvard everyone told me I'd be crazy to turn down that opportunity." As he finished his sentence, he got up again and took two more

bottles of beer from the fridge.

"I don't remember telling you that," Bella replied.

"Touché" he smiled.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't. No worries, okay? I want to hear about this internship you're shooting for."

As Bella started on her second Corona, she fidgeted in her seat a little, "Well, to tell you the truth it all came about kind of randomly. I'm taking

this studio class for the summer semester. My advisor calls me in one day and started talking about this internship for second year grad students,

specifically geared toward digital media and photo essays."

Jacob's chimed in with sincere excitement, "Bells…that's great. That's exactly what you love to do. And you're so good at it."

She blushed, "You're not exactly objective, but thanks."

"Well," he conceded. "That's true. But I'm still right. Is this internship in the city?"

"I don't have all the specifics. What I do know is that its based here but some travel would be required."

Jake shook his head, "Travel. Figures."

Bella wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but she was starting to catch a buzz and felt the most relaxed she'd been all day. So relaxed that she

didn't object when Jacob suggested they order dinner in, rather than go out. As they finished their meals, Jake walked into the family room,

motioning for Bella to join him. She stood up, stumbling before Jake caught her by the arm. "Most people shouldn't drink and drive, Bella…you

shouldn't drink and walk," he kidded.

"Very funny," she answered as she walked toward the couch. Glancing at the clock on the fireplace mantle, Bella was shocked to see the time.

"Oh my God, is that clock right?"

Jake looked across the room. "Eight o'clock? That seems about right, why?"

Bella tensed. "I was supposed to be at work an hour ago! Shit! I totally forgot."

"Alright, okay. Calm down. We can fix this," he reassured her. " Let me just call the bar and tell them you weren't feeling well, you fell

asleep….that I'm calling on your behalf."

Bella shook her head. "No, that won't work. I'll call." She picked up her purse and pulled out her cell phone, pressing speed dial for the bar.

Within one ring someone picked up. "Dive Bar, this is Mike." Mike. Fuck. Of all people. They barely spoke anymore, in fact she usually switched her

shifts if she noticed they were scheduled to work together.

"Mike, hi, its Bella."

"Bella, hello. Hey, where are you?" He was surprised, but happy, to hear from her.

"Listen Mike, I need you to cover for me. You owe me and I'm calling it in right now. Okay?"

"What's going on, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just…to be honest I forgot until just now that I was supposed to work tonight."

"Okay," Mike replied skeptically. "So what does that have to do with me?"

"Can you just say I called in sick or something? Tell them I fell asleep and just now woke up?"

Mike hesitated. He suspected she was with Edward and it infuriated him to even think about that. But maybe if he did her this favor it would help

repair their friendship.

"Alright," he said begrudgingly. "I hope you're feeling better soon."

Hanging up, Bella put her phone back in her purse and picked her drink. "Phew…close one." They sat down on the couch, facing each other as

they drank their beer. "So Jacob," Bella asked. "You don't' like it in Boston? Really?"

He nodded his head. "I, uh, I made a mistake," he said wistfully. Looking down he continued, "Actually I made a couple of mistakes."

Bella looked perplexed.

'I'm transferring to Columbia in the Fall, Bella. I'm coming back to the city."

"What?" she asked. "You're coming back? To Columbia? You can transfer like that in Med School?"

"Its not easy, but yes," Mike added. "But that's not my biggest mistake. And I want to say this so don't interrupt okay?"

She nodded.

"My biggest mistake was letting you go."

Another rush of emotion flooded through Bella as Jacob's hand reached toward her cheek, stroking it softly. These were the words she spent

months praying for. He ran his thumb over the outside of her lips. Parting them slightly, she took it into her mouth a bit down lightly. She closed

her eyes and moaned to herself. Why God? Why did this have to feel so fucking good?

He pulled her closer, whispering in her ear just before his lips pressed against hers. "Bella, I've missed you so much." Her lips met his with

eagerness, welcoming his tongue into her mouth as it tangled with hers. His kiss was passionate, just as she'd remembered. Their lips were

locked together, as if neither one dare to let go again. She reached around to run her fingers through his hair.

And stopped.

His hair.

This wasn't the hair she loved. Or the head she loved. Or the person she loved. Anymore. Pulling away, she looked at Jacob with apologetic eyes.

"Oh God, Jake. I'm sorry. I. I just can't do this."

Letting his arms fall from around her, Jacob looked at her pleadingly. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Bella stood up, searching the room frantically for her purse. She needed to leave before things got any worse. Before he convinced her to stay.

"Bella, please. Talk to me," he begged.

Turning to him, she spoke from the heart, unaware what she would say until the words came out of her mouth. "Jake, I will always love you.

Always," she continued as tears fell again. "But we can't do this. I can't do this. I don't want to tarnish what we had by

doing something we might regret. And I would regret it, because I'm in love with someone else."

The stunned look on his face said all she needed to know. He had expected her to wait for him. If not wait, at least to drop everything when he

returned. It hurt her to see that in his expression. Disbelief. Pain. Regret.

"Good bye, Jake," she said as she let herself out. "Please take care."

…………………………………

After a day of being hidden inside a twenty-by-thirty foot trailer, Edward was finally back in his suite. As he walked into the living room, he

checked his IPhone again to see if Bella had called or texted. Should he be worried, he thought? Hadn't she said she'd call after her meeting?

Maybe things ran longer than expected and she had to rush straight to work, he thought. Stretching out on the couch, he began flipping through

the channels in search of something worth watching on tv. Finding nothing, he picked up his phone again, this time deciding to text her.

_Baby, how'd it go? _

_Call me when you get off work, okay? _

_I want to hear everything._

He thought for a moment before he added the last line.

_I love you._

And he hit send.

As he set the phone down it began to vibrate. "What the hell did I do, send a text to myself?" he thought out loud. Picking it up, he looked

closely, trying to figure out what he had done wrong, when it vibrated again and the message box indicated he had a text.

He smiled as he opened the message:

_Ditto._

And then the next message:

_Now please open the door._

Opening the door, Bella stood in front of him more disheveled and exhausted than he had ever seen her. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes

were red and puffy. Edward took her into his arms immediately. "Baby, are you okay? What happened?"

She surprised him with a smile. "I'm great now. Now that I'm with you."

Lying her down on the couch, he placed her head in his lap. "I was worried about you. Did something go wrong at your meeting?"

"It went fantastic Edward. Really, really well." She reached up, pulled his face to hers and planted a big kiss on his mouth."

"Okay," he chuckled. "I know I shouldn't say this, then, but…"

"I look like hell, I know."

"No, I wasn't going to say that," he lied. "But have you been crying?"

She sat up, facing him, wrapping her hands around his shoulders. "I was. But not anymore. And I'll tell you everything, but I just want to be here

with you for a while. I need you to hold me, Edward. I want to be with you. Only you."

Leaning in, she kissed his welcoming lips. Their warm tongues teased one another until she moved her mouth to his neck, gently biting then

kissing it until she reached his chest. He slid his shirt off as her hands wandered. Straddling him, the blue and white dress rose to her hips as

she thrust herself into his lap.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. If you only knew what that does to me…" He could not restrain himself any more as he picked her up and carried her in his

arms to the bedroom.

"Make love to me, Edward. I need you," Bella pleaded.

Her dress was off before her body fell onto the bed. Edward's hands scrambled to remove her bra. He cursed when he realized it was a front

snap. As he released her breasts his mouth moved right her nipples, going back and forth, teasing with his tongue, sucking, playfully biting. She

groaned as they throbbed each time his mouth came near. His hand reached down to her panties, already moist for him. As he slid

them down her legs his mouth stopped to tease her wetness, tickling her clit with his tongue before he moved back up to her breast.

Taking her hand in his, Edward it to his crotch. "Do you feel what you do to me? Every fucking day of my life. This is what you do, baby. I've never

been so hot for anyone."

Pushing his hand away, Bella reached to the waistband and began unzipping. Sliding his pants off, Bella gasped as she saw his raging hard-on.

"Edward, please don't make me beg. I've never needed you like this before."

He climbed on top of her, spreading her legs wide with his knees. "Beg, baby. I want to hear you beg." He teased her further by slipping two

fingers inside her, causing her to cry out in ecstasy.

"Fuck me Edward, please. I need you inside me. "

His cock plunged inside her forcefully. She gasped, sure he had never gone so deep before. Each time he slid in and out it felt as if he was

pounding deeper, and she could not get enough. Her hips thrashed wildly, trying to keep up with his rhythm. She had

never been fucked so hard in her life, and it was the most incredible feeling she had ever experienced.

Her body started to quake. She dug her nails into his back, desperately trying to pull him closer. He continued to rock in and out of her. She tried

not to scream, biting into his shoulder at one point as her entire body shook out of control."

Her cries were more than Edward could handle. He pushed himself into her one last time, while she screamed and shook.

He collapsed on top of her, as she wrapped her arms around him. "Stay there," she said quietly. "Stay inside me for now, okay?" He could not

help but smile. As if he wanted to be anywhere else.

He raised his head to look at her. Tears were falling down the sides of her face. He kissed each one away before it hit her pillow.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked as he brushed hair from her face.

"Edward," she said as her lips pulled towards his. "I love you."

"Bella," Edward smiled.

"Yes."

"Ditto."

………………………………………………

**Did you like it? Please leave your feedback...good or bad! I'm already at work on chapter 8**


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